


Safe and Sound

by Mia_Vaan



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Feels, Chosen Family is a Theme, Crew is family, F/M, Gen, Khan redemption, Kirk gets superpowers, Minor Character Death, Pregnant Uhura, Protective Parents, References To Terrorism, TOS characters included, Violence, don't worry it's not her who miscarries, insecure spock, this fic can get pretty dark in places, trigger warning for child abuse, trigger warning for miscarriage, what happened to Christine Chapel, what happened to Lucille Harewood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-16
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-06-28 07:07:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 46,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15702306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mia_Vaan/pseuds/Mia_Vaan
Summary: The crew of the Enterprise realize that Khan's blood has a few unwanted side effects. Things just go from bad to worse from there. Minor AU set after Into Darkness starring Lucille Harewood.This story was originally published over at FanFic.Net on: September 17th 2013.





	1. Awakening

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The rights for Star Trek belong to Paramount Pictures. 
> 
> A story which started out as a one-shot explanation of what happened to the little girl at the beginning of Into Darkness very quickly turned into a multi-chapter monster. It is partly AU. The names of Khan’s crew were found through research, along with other information from both the Extended Universe and the Original Series.
> 
> It’s been years, but I’m finding myself drawn back into this fandom again. And re-reading, I remembered that I once planned on going through these stories and correcting all the mistakes I made - and while doing so, I decided to re-post the story here. For those of you who have read this story before, I’ve made a number of other changes as well, which hasn’t changed the story a lot, but there’s a few details that are different. 
> 
> Warning: This story contains forms of child abuse, deals with miscarriage and includes violence.

_“Leading a family is the hardest job a man can ever have.”_ – Dave Ramsey

\---

Lucille Harewood awoke to a crowd of doctors gathered around her.

When she had been put under, she’d been in great pain. All the eight-year-old remembered was her mother telling her not to worry, and the doctor calmly informing her that she was ill and an induced coma would help her recover. Part of her had been hopeful, while another part of her had realized she’d most likely never wake up.

Discovering her favourite stuffed rabbit next to her, she brought it close to her chest as she attempted to sit up. That’s when the doctors noticed she was awake and all fell silent. Lucille looked back at them blankly, unsure what their silence meant.

“Am I better now?” she asked.

The doctors all exchanged glances while one – the one who always made her laugh before she’d been put to sleep – responded with a remark of, “ _That’s_ the understatement of the century.”

Only then did Lucille notice her mother in the room, tears in her eyes. Rima Harewood nodded. “Lucille…baby, you _are_ better now.” Her mother had always been emotional, and would sometimes cry tears of happiness…but this felt different.

Lucille wasn’t sure how, but she knew her mother had been crying for a different reason.

She glanced around, realizing that one important person was missing. “Where’s Daddy?” she asked. “Is he at work?”

Her mother stared at her for a moment before she burst into tears, and had to be escorted from the room by her favourite doctor. Another doctor – a specialist doctor who had been brought in to examine her, and never smiled – sat himself on the bed.

“Young lady, do you remember your 21st century history?” he asked. She nodded in reply. “Do you remember being taught about the terrorism that happened right at the beginning of that century?”

“These two towers collapsed,” said the little girl. “And a bus and some trains were blown up, right here in London.” She sent the doctor a look of confusion. “Has something like this happened? Was my daddy hurt?”

The doctor’s stoic expression never changed. “Your mother may not agree with me, but I think it’s better if you knew. There was an explosion in the Kelvin Memorial Archive…and as far as we know, your father was the one who did it.”

\---

For the first time in his life, Khan had underestimated an opponent.

That was his first thought when he awoke in a hospital bed, tied down – although not tight enough, he realized upon testing it – and still in considerable pain. He could feel his blood cells regenerating, but they were working slower than usual. It always happened after taking too much at once – which was exactly what he had endured at the hands of the Vulcan First Officer.

When Khan had been awoken by Marcus and had caught up on the past centuries, he had taken considerable interest in the Vulcan race, and not just because the destruction of their home world was the main reason why Starfleet needed his help. Their intellect was on the same level as his own, and apparently, so was their strength. But their unwillingness to fight and embrace their savage routes turned him away.

Remembering what he had endured from Spock…well, he supposed he should have looked into them more. In short, if he ever resumed his conquest, he would be staying clear of New Vulcan.

Khan returned his attention to the matter at hand, and looked to his left to find the _Enterprise_ ’s doctor examining something under a microscope. Khan didn’t have to have superior intellect to know that the doctor was examining his “super blood”, as he had dubbed it.

The doctor – McCoy, Khan remembered – turned to him, having heard the shifting in the bed. “Oh. You’re awake. Maybe I can convince you to tell me how to perfect this serum.”

“Why should I tell you?” asked Khan. “So you can save your precious Captain?” He knew that was the reason; Spock had made that very clear to him during what was called a “mind-meld”.

“Do you want me to fetch Spock so he can beat it out of you?” asked the Doctor. He took a threatening step towards him.

Khan broke the straps that had bound him to the bed and grabbed McCoy by the throat, also grabbing a scalpel which he then held to the doctor’s neck. “Do not make the mistake in threatening me, especially after what you and your Vulcan friend did. I am in hospital, am I not?”

“Yes, you’re in hospital. You’re also in a bed holding a scalpel to your doctor’s throat.”

“Well, what if I was to kill you, leave this room, find where you are keeping your Captain, and finish the job?” said Khan. “And then what if I was to then kill everyone else here, too?”

“So how are you going to kill me?” asked McCoy. There was no fear in his eyes; only annoyance. “You can either choke me or cut my throat; hurry up and decide. Although it would be more effective if you cut the carotid artery just under the left ear.”

“While I respect a man with courage, it will not save you.” Khan moved the scalpel up to where McCoy had said. “Nothing will.”

“What if I told you your crew is still alive?”

Khan froze. He examined the doctor’s face carefully, looking for any trace which could suggest that he was lying…but he found none. His crew was alive, and this raised many questions in the augment’s head; why had they been spared, and more importantly, how had they even survived?

Realizing that the only one who could answer his questions was inches away from death, Khan released McCoy. “How and why?”

“I’ll be the first to say that Spock is cold, be he’s not _that_ cold,” McCoy replied, rubbing his neck. “He had Dr. Marcus and I – along with everyone in medical – remove the cryo-tubes from the torpedoes, so he could blow them up once they were with you.”

“But why did you remove them? Why not destroy them as well; be rid of the problem, easy as that?”

“Because unlike you, we’re not killers,” said McCoy. “On top of that, Jim’s not a back-stabbing son of a bitch like you are; he promised to keep your crew safe. They’re safe, and they’re alive. Well…apart from one, although that’s no fault of ours.”

Khan’s face darkened. “Describe them to me.”

“The only way I can describe them is that he or she hadn’t even been born yet.”

The recuperative blood in his body ran cold, and McCoy’s sudden step back was a good indication of the expression upon Khan’s face.

“Marcus…”

“We think so,” said McCoy. “The cryo-tube had been purposely tampered with – or sabotaged, if you prefer. The child’s mother would have died too if Dr. Marcus and I hadn’t noticed and fixed the problem, but the woman had to be removed and kept in an induced coma. Once I’m done with the serum, I’ll have to…clean her out.”

Khan looked away; he didn’t want to allow this inferior man to see him vulnerable.

“And judging by your expression, that kid was yours.” When Khan turned his head in surprise, McCoy only shrugged. “I’m a father, too. I know what it feels like to lose a kid, although mine was taken by my bitch of an ex-wife. I hope your wife’s not like that.”

“She is not my wife.” Khan closed his eyes, bringing forward the memory of her; short hair that was black as night, blue eyes which were cold and cruel as she made the inferior bow at her feet… “I am sure you are aware of the term ‘lovers’.”

“I’m aware of it, but not quite so much as Jim is.” McCoy returned to examining the sample of blood. “I don’t suppose you’re in the mood to tell me about the serum now? You’ve done it once already, before you try giving me crap about it being impossible. You cured a terminally ill girl named Lucille Harewood over in England, but while she’s cured she also doesn’t have a father anymore. Shame, isn’t it?”

Khan knew what the doctor was doing; it was a mixture of appealing to his guilty conscience and fatherly instincts. The first didn’t work because he _had_ no conscience, and his fatherly instinct was only towards his _own_ child and to a lesser extent his crew.

But this same instinct towards his crew spoke out, saying that he should at least repay Kirk for keeping them safe when he could have easily killed them without a second thought. Not to mention McCoy and the Admiral’s daughter saving the life of his lover, even if they could not save his unborn child. He owed Kirk a debt – and owing a debt to someone inferior was not something he liked, so he supposed that paying it off quickly would solve the problem.

Seeing as he was no longer tied down, Khan rose from the bed and approached McCoy, who instantly looked wary. This wariness never dropped as Khan began to prepare the serum, even when the augment explained to the doctor how it worked and how to apply it to different kinds of injuries.

“Will it cause Jim to develop any…power-mad or homicidal urges?” asked McCoy.

“All I was told by those who created me is that my blood can cure,” Khan replied. “If there are any side effects of the transfusion, then I am not aware of them.”

“Gee, good to know.”

There was a knock at the door, and both men turned to see a woman in her early fifties enter the room; her hair was mostly blonde, although the tips suggested that she had dyed it a darker colour at some point in her life. Her green-blue eyes glanced at McCoy for a moment before they settled on Khan. She did _not_ look happy.

“Mrs. Kirk,” McCoy greeted, “nice to see you. Jim’s two doors down.”

“Oh, I know. I’ve already seen him.” Her eyes never left Khan.

“I’m sure Spock filled you in on what’s happening,” McCoy continued, looking uncertain. “I’ve got the serum; I just need to get it in him.” He made his way over to her. “I’ll call security to detain Khan-”

“Go.” She turned her _look_ on McCoy. “I need to have a word with him. You just worry about getting that serum inside my son. OK?”

“…Yes, ma’am.” McCoy left the room a little faster than he normally would have done.

Winona Kirk turned back to Khan. “On the bed. Sit.”

Intrigued, Khan did as asked and sat himself down, watching as the woman slowly made her way over to him. She looked intimidating, although it didn’t work on Khan.

“You are the Captain’s mother,” said Khan manner-of-factually.

“Yes,” Winona said back. “And _you_ are the man who killed my _son_ , and also blew up my husband’s memorial. You and I are going to have a _very_ interesting conversation.” With her arms folded across her chest, she looked down upon him like he was a bug for her to squish. “I’m told you have a superior intellect.”

“What you have been told is correct.” Khan did not look her in the eye, for that would mean he would have to look up to her; he refused to look up to anyone.

She began to pace slowly. “So, if you have this ‘superior intellect’, then you must know about pretty much everything. Animals, for instance.”

“The natural world is a war for superiority,” said Khan. “Only the superior survive, feasting on the inferior.”

“So you know a thing or two,” she said. “Do you happen to know what a mother bear does to anyone who harms her cubs?”

Khan was immediately aware of where this conversation was heading. “I do.”

“So you probably have a good idea of how I’m feeling.” Had Khan been watching her, he would have noticed her raising her fist, and probably would have been able to stop it from colliding with his face. The force of the punch was enough to throw him off balance, and he found himself lying on his back in a daze.

While the augment was angered at being hit by an inferior human, he was grudgingly impressed by the force of the hit.

Winona walked around the bed, her pace slow and steady; unlike Spock, she hadn’t lost control of her anger. “I would kill you now, but you may still be needed to save my son, so I won’t. But that doesn’t mean the thought has left my mind. I’m only going to say this once, and I’m going to make it very clear. If you hurt or threaten my son again, I’ll come after you. I won’t need Starfleet, or a Vulcan; hell, I won’t even need a Klingon Empire. I’ll come after you, and when I find you, I’ll blast a hole straight through your cold heart. Then, to make sure you don’t regenerate, I’ll cut off your head, and your arms, and your legs; you’ll be in six pieces, and I’ll bury a piece in _one. Continent. Each_.”

If she was going to continue her threat she never got the chance, for security arrived and detained Khan, securing him to the bed once again with stronger bonds than before. Winona only watched, showing no emotion other than that hidden fury in her eyes, before she simply turned and walked away.

Khan wouldn’t admit it aloud, but he had been impressed, even if she hadn’t scared him. She reminded him of his lover; her cold uncaring when it came to those who threatened her and her family, and her determination to do whatever was necessary to eliminate that threat. And while he had not been afraid of Kirk’s mother, he did take her threat seriously.

Anyone with a superior intellect knew better than to mess with an angry mother.

\---

In another part of the hospital, another augment awoke after a three-hundred-year sleep.

Washington Joaquin Wess was at first confused as to where he was. The last thing he remembered was reminding his leader how to activate the cryo-tubes before climbing into his own, prepared for the long sleep ahead with the knowledge that when he awoke, they would be on a planet they could rule over.

What he had not expected was an Earth-like hospital which looked far more advanced than he recalled.

When he tried to sit up he found that he had been tied to the bed, but the bonds were not tight and he broke them with ease. Those who had found him were either not aware of his strength or had not expected him to wake up, he deduced. Finally being able to sit up, Washington gave his face a tired rub; he’d been asleep for a long time, he knew that.

He began to wonder where the other members of the crew were, so looked up to see if there were any in the room with him. There was only one person, still asleep; a woman he recognized.

“Vic…”

Victoria Kati Ahart, Khan’s infamous lover, looked almost peaceful in her sleep; in this state it was hard to imagine her as the most ruthless of Khan’s followers.

Washington rose from his bed, stumbling a little as his legs were not used to walking after so long, and made his way over to her. While part of him wondered where the others were – more importantly, where Khan was – another part of him was relieved to see a fellow augment with him. His half-sister, at that. Even if it was only the two of them, at least he was not alone.

Any happy thought vanished when he saw a vital part of the woman missing; her enlarged stomach where her baby had been.

Instantly Washington thought her cryo-tube might have been the cause. He had designed them himself, as well as the sleeper-ship which would allow their escape from the planet. Both had been designed and built in a hurry, as the war had been ending and they had been losing.

He knew that both Khan and Victoria would kill him for any mistake which had been made, but Washington would not resist their sentencing. If he had failed them, death was what he deserved.

But then he realized that they had obviously been found, most likely by humans. What if those who had found them had recognized them, and had decided to enact their own sentencing? This was a possibility. The only way he would know for sure, he realized, was if he went to discover the truth for himself. He needed to look over Victoria’s cryo-tube _and_ find the whereabouts of Khan and the others – if they were still alive.

But first thing was first: he needed to awaken Victoria.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm aiming to upload one chapter a day, but if anyone's feeling impatient and wants to read the whole story at once, here's the link to the complete story over on FanFic.Net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9694363/1/Safe-and-Sound


	2. The Terrorist's Daughter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Harewoods uncover an uncomfortable truth, while the Enterprise crew discover a welcome surprise.

“It’s the terrorist’s daughter!”

“Everyone stay away! She could have a bomb on her!”

Lucille ignored the taunting of her classmates as she walking out onto the playground. It had been a full month since the attack – and since a larger attack in San Francisco – and a full two weeks since Lucille had been back at school. She was healthy; there had been no reason to keep her from her education.

And her father’s death was also no excuse to stay away.

She sat herself down on a bench away from the other children, her eyes averted to her feet. After being told, Lucille had hoped that they’d been wrong; that the attack hadn’t been the fault of her father. He would never hurt anyone, and she knew it. At least, she _thought_ she had known him; with him always at work, she supposed she should have known better than to think she knew him that well.

Her mother had later been told that it _had_ been him. He had sent a confession to Starfleet’s top Admiral, explaining everything; about the deal with the agent from Section 31, about what that agent had asked him to do and what he had offered in return…

Lucille bit her lip. She was alive and well because of this man; this man who had told her father to kill people. His blood now ran through her veins. It made her feel guilty; if she hadn’t been sick, then her father wouldn’t have been forced to do whatever was asked of him. If she had been more careful and not caught the illness, her father wouldn’t have been labelled a terrorist by those who didn’t know the full story.

Being known as the terrorist’s daughter was what she deserved, she supposed. None of the children would dare approach, her friends refused to talk to her, and even the teachers looked at her warily, as if she was going to explode at any moment.

A shadow fell over her, and Lucille looked up to find two older boys right there, glaring. Both were far taller than she was.

“You buying your time, are ya?” the first boy asked. He grabbed her shirt and pulled her up from the bench. “You’re waiting until everyone’s not looking before you blow this place up, aren’t ya?”

Lucille struggled to pull away from him. “He didn’t want to kill those people!” she pled. “He was trying to save me. That other man made him do it.”

“Liar!” yelled the second boy. He slapped her across the face. “You’re just saying that so you don’t get into trouble! My dad said that terrorism runs in the family; the parents teach the kids. He said we need to show the kids what’s what before they grow up. So that’s what we’re gonna do.”

The first boy threw Lucille to the ground. She was too startled to realize that the pain in her face was fading away faster than it should, and instead she curled up into a ball to protect her head and vital organs. The two boys began to kick her. Around them a small crowd of children gathered, none of them willing to fetch the teacher.

Both boys laughed. “Go on! Show us the bomb!”

Lucille was on the verge of tears when something inside her changed. Her fear was replaced with anger; anger at the boys who had jumped to their conclusion so quickly, anger at the boys’ parents for filling their heads with lies, and anger at the other children who weren’t doing anything about it. The anger surged like that of an untamed tiger’s, and Lucille began to uncurl from her defensive position.

The first boy smirked as she looked him dead in the eye. “You gonna take one to the face, then?” He went in for a high kick towards the head.

But Lucille grabbed his foot with barely any effort and bent it back, farther than a foot should be able to go. There was a deafening crunch of bone.

The boy screamed in pain and fell to the ground, holding his foot in agony. The second stared at his friend wide eyed before turning back to Lucille, who had climbed to her feet and was staring at him coldly. He tried to throw a punch, but Lucille caught his fist with one hand and squeezed hard, almost crushing it. As the boy cried out, Lucille grabbed his upper arm with her other hand and swung him towards the other students; they ran screaming as the boy landed hard where they had been standing.

This was when the teachers arrived, and only then did Lucille blink back to reality. She saw the two boys lying in pain on the playground, and her eyes widened. _Did I do that?_

She could remember doing it, she realized to her horror. But how had she been able to do so, never being that strong before? And why had she gotten the sudden urge to violently fight back when before, she’d never even thought about harming others?

Lucille didn't have these answers when one of the teachers demanded an explanation; she was only able to provide the what, and not the how and why. While the two boys were taken to the nurse, Lucille went willingly to the head teacher’s office. She wondered why she wasn’t being checked over by the nurse too.

But then she realized she was not in pain, and when she examined herself, she found there were no bruises, either.

Her mother said nothing to her when she arrived at the school. The car journey home was silent, as well. Only when they were settled down in the lounge and Lucille had greeted Sonny, her dog, did Rima finally speak up.

“Lucille…I don’t know what to say,” she spoke. Her voice was soft, but not in the way it used to be. Rima hadn’t been the same since the death of her husband. “I refused to believe it when I was told what had happened. But then I saw the state of those boys… Why? Why would you do that? And _how_?”

“I don’t know.” Lucille avoided eye contact with her mother out of guilt. “Those boys started hurting me because of what Daddy did. I was scared…but then I got angry. They were saying things that weren’t true, and the others watching weren’t getting a teacher. I sat up and… I knew what I was doing, but I forgot that it was bad until the teachers came; they made me remember.”

Rima rose from her seat and began to pace, like she always did when she was either worried or uncertain; this time it was a combination of both.

“Mummy,” Lucille spoke up. Rima continued to pace. “Do you think the bad man’s blood made me do that?”

Her mother paused, the uncertainty fading away. Deeper worry filled its place.

She turned to her daughter. “Lucille, I want you to go to your room and get changed out of your uniform, and once you are I want you to pack your things. Pull out your suitcase and put as many things as you can in there. Your clothes mostly, but you can put a few other things in there, too. Pack some things to play with in your backpack, and don’t forget your rabbit. When you’re done, I want you to put your things by the door and fetch Sonny’s belongings as well.”

“Where are we going?” asked Lucille. But her mother didn’t answer; she only hurried into her room, shutting the door behind her. When Lucille heard her switch on her comm unit, she disappeared into her own room to do as her mother said.

The next half hour was spent packing. Lucille tried to be neat, but she had never packed her own bag before; all she knew was that the shoes always went at the bottom. She was able to fit almost all her clothes into her suitcase, her uniform being the only thing she didn’t pack; she somehow knew she wouldn’t need it. She didn’t have many toys, and any books she was reading had been downloaded onto her PADD. The few toys she owned were laid across the top of her suitcase before she closed it, and she put any remaining toys into her backpack. Her PADD was placed in there too, leaving room for snacks. She kept her stuffed rabbit under her arm for comfort.

Lucille was worried that she wouldn’t be able to pull her suitcase out to the front door. She contemplated asking her mother to help her, but she could hear her talking; whoever she had contacted was still on the line, and it sounded serious. Lucille attempted to pull it on her own…and found that the case was not as heavy as she’d thought it would be. With her backpack on, she pulled the case from her room and left it by the door.

She then filled her backpack with snacks and a water bottle, before putting that by the front door and fetching Sonny’s belongings. She found a bag to use and placed the dog’s lead and treats inside. She collected his food and drink bowl as well, along with a small bag of his food, before carrying it all out to the front door as well.

There was a five minute wait before Rima appeared with a suitcase of her own, along with her largest handbag. She opened a draw and brought out the passports.

“Where are we going?” asked Lucille again.

“We’re taking a shuttle to San Francisco,” said her mother. She opened the bag which held Sonny’s belongings and took out the lead, attaching it to the dog’s collar. “I’ve been in touch with an old friend who’s one of the Starfleet officers looking into the recent attacks; he’ll know someone who can figure out what’s happening to you. Hurry up.”

She opened the front door, and Lucille followed her out. “But why are we leaving now?”

“Because the parents of those boys won’t like what’s happened,” explained her mother. “Ever since your father did what he did, people have been jumping to conclusions too quickly.”

They took the turbo-lift down and hurried outside their building. The stop for the shuttle bus was right outside, and luckily for them, one arrived seconds later. “Put your hood up,” Rima instructed, referring to the hoodies they were wearing. Lucille did so.

Rima paid their fare and they boarded. If the driver was surprised to see Lucille carrying what looked like a heavy suitcase, he didn’t show it. Once the cases were packed away in the baggage compartment, the small family took their seats at the back of the shuttle bus as it pulled away. Rima took out her PADD to double-check the times when the next shuttle for San Francisco would be leaving.

In doing so, she didn’t see what Lucille saw out the back window – a whole squadron of police showing up outside their building, thankfully ignoring the bus as it sped down the road.

\---

“Jim, we need to talk.”

Jim Kirk turned away from his discussion with Spock, acknowledging his friend and CMO. “Bones, can it wait? I’m kinda busy here.” He gestured over to where Scotty was overseeing the _Enterprise_ ’s repairs, and then to Spock. “It’s like you’re trying to stall our eventual return to the stars, which wouldn’t surprise me.”

“Dammit, Jim! This is serious.” McCoy’s expression held little annoyance; it was that serious worry which appeared whenever he wasn’t overreacting about something.

This caught the Captain’s attention. “What’s it about?”

McCoy looked around at the construction workers and the various crewmen attending their duties. “Not here. We need to hold a staff meeting. Senior Officers only.”

“It shall be done,” said Spock.

Ten minutes later, those Senior Officers were gathered in the meeting room; Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Chekov, Sulu and Uhura. Carol Marcus was also present.

“And why am I here, Captain?” she asked.

Jim took a sip of his drink. “You’re not part of the family yet, but you will be soon.” She opened her mouth to tell him otherwise, but the Captain turned his attention to McCoy. “So what is it, Bones?”

McCoy took in a deep breath. “You remember in the debriefing, they said a man named Thomas Harewood let off the bomb in London?” Everyone acknowledged. “They said it was to save his daughter; it was part of the deal Khan made with him.”

“And Khan was able to save her from her terminal illness by creating a serum with his blood,” said Spock.

The doctor nodded. “The same serum I used to bring Jim back to life. Well, Admiral Barnett received a call earlier from the girl’s mother. Apparently, that little girl was being bullied by these two boys, and she retaliated – by bending one’s foot right back to his leg, and tossing the other into the crowd of children watching.”

The officers in the room were silent.

“Were these boys her age?” asked Sulu.

“They were older,” said McCoy. “And bigger. It seems that the serum has a few…side effects, so to speak. The girl is on her way to San Francisco now, but I was called to ask you, Jim, if you were having similar urges for violence, or anything unusual like that.”

Jim shook his head. “I don’t feel the urge to toss my crew around like rag-dolls – although now that I think about it, I was able to beat Spock at a game of three-dimensional chess in record time.”

“I was, as you would say, ‘going easy’ on you, Captain,” Spock admitted. “Although it should have taken you far longer to defeat me even then; I merely did not notice at the time because an Ensign called for my attention.”

“Superior intellect was another one of Khan’s abilities.” McCoy sighed. “It looks like you’ll have to be examined, Jim.”

“Do I have to? It’s bad enough when I let _you_ poke me.”

“It’s just to make sure you don’t turn into a homicidal maniac,” McCoy assured him.

“There’s nothing wrong with me!” Kirk protested. “And I’ll prove it. Computer, is there anything wrong with me?”

“ _Heart-rate is higher than the average human, and physical condition is far better than it has ever been,_ ” the computer replied.

Jim blinked in surprise, trying to ignore McCoy’s ‘I told you so’ glance. “Must be a malfunction.”

“Let’s find out,” said McCoy, a smile on his face. “Computer, scan…Lt. Uhura and tell me her condition.”

Uhura didn’t protest as she awaited the computer’s results. “ _No illness can be detected within her system, although a proper medical examination is required to determine this. The only notable change is internally, for the scan shows that she is precisely one month pregnant._ ”

Jim spat out a mouthful of water right in McCoy’s face. Chekov almost fell off his chair while Scotty _did_ fall off his chair. The eyes of Carol and Sulu widened in shock. Spock’s expression went from stoic to showing an uncountable amount of emotions, and Uhura looked as though she was going to faint.


	3. Roger Korby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kirk and Lucille meet, and a new face is introduced...along with a familiar one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Pon Farr explanation was inspired by the 'After Darkness' comic. There will also be characters from the Original Series appearing in this chapter.

“So _that’s_ what you two were doing while your amazing Captain was in a coma,” said Kirk, smirking. He had been the first to get over the shock; he’d already asked if he could marry them on the _Enterprise_. “Having ‘Glad-to-be-Alive’ sex. That’s not a bad thing; I approve.”

“Of course you would.” McCoy rolled his eyes as he used his scanner to double-check the computer’s findings. Uhura was staring blankly at nothing, showing no sign of even acknowledging McCoy, while Spock held her hand.

“Nyota, everything will be fine,” said the father-to-be. His usual stoic expression had returned not long after Jim’s shock had worn off, although there was obvious concern and compassion in his eyes as he comforted his girlfriend.

McCoy finished the scan. “Well, the computer’s right. You’re pregnant by one month. Congratulations.”

This seemed to bring Nyota from her trance-like state. “I… It’s just… How did…how did this happen?”

“Well-” McCoy immediately covered Jim’s mouth, shutting him up.

“Do you not recall how it happened, Nyota?” asked Spock.

“Of course I do. It’s just…unexpected. I’ve never even _thought_ about having children before; I’ve always been focussed on my career at Starfleet. And we’ve always been so careful, Spock.” Uhura subconsciously laid a hand upon her stomach, thinking about the life that was growing inside of her.

“Then why weren’t you careful this time?” asked Sulu.

Carol nodded in agreement. “You mentioned in passing that you took pills to prevent this.”

“I’d stopped taking those a few months ago, when the…fights started,” the Communications Officer admitted. “The reason Spock didn’t take precautions this time was because…” She trailed off, glancing at Spock as if silently asking for permission to continue.

The Vulcan took it from there. “My battle with Khan triggered my Vulcan heritage,” he explained. “It is something which we have kept hidden from our allies, for we are ashamed of it, as it is the only time in our lives when our emotions are out of our control. It is called Pon Farr.”

“Pon Farr?” Chekov questioned.

Spock nodded. “It is the Vulcan mating urge. It begins at a different age for every Vulcan; some earlier in life, others much later. But once it has begun, it happens every seven years; we experience plak tow, which means ‘blood fever’. It causes a state of uncontrollable madness; our thoughts are irrational and we only act on instinct. If a Vulcan does not release this by mating, then they will die in eight days.”

“So, it’s a case of get laid or die.” McCoy hit Jim’s arm for that comment.

“Yes, Captain,” said Spock. “During this time a Vulcan would return home, although this is not strictly necessary. Vulcan may be gone, but Earth counted as my home, too.”

“But what if a Vulcan canne find a mate in eight days?” asked Scotty. “That’s only a wee space of time.”

“All Vulcans are bonded to another at the age of seven,” said Spock. “An arranged marriage, so to speak. I was too; her name was T’Pring, but I broke off the arrangement when I joined Starfleet. I did not think Pon Farr would affect me, as I am half-human.”

Jim smirked. “I bet you’re glad you hooked up with Uhura, then?” This earned another hit from McCoy.

“What happened to T’Pring?” asked Carol.

Spock averted his gaze. “She was killed when my home was destroyed.”

“Taking all this into account, I think I can work out what happened.” Jim pointed at Spock, “Your fight with Khan sent you into an ancient mating drive which would kill you unless Uhura,” He pointed at her, “had sex with you. That’s a pretty good excuse to get laid. I’ll have to use that someday.”

McCoy once again rolled his eyes. “Are you going to take this seriously, Jim?” He turned back to the couple. “So, since Spock was irrational, he didn’t have the thought to take birth control precautions.”

“I’m admittedly to blame for that, too, and not just because of the pills,” said Nyota. “I was just so worried about him that birth control never crossed my mind. I suppose it can’t be helped now. I won’t get this taken care of; I would never live with myself if I did.”

Spock tenderly touched her cheek with his fingers. “If you are certain that you want this baby, Nyota…”

“I am.” She smiled at him. “I may never have considered it, and we may not have planned it, but I want this.”

“And we’re all happy for you both,” said Kirk with a genuine smile on his face. The other officers nodded in agreement, all offering the happy couple smiles of congratulations.

A comm-link beeped; it was McCoy’s, and he opened it up. “McCoy, here.”

“ _Doctor, the Harewoods have arrived._ ”

“We’ll be there shortly.” He slapped it shut. “Time to go, Jim.”

“Fine,” he sighed, rising from his seat. “Spock, Uhura, Marcus; come with us. The rest of you stay on the _Enterprise_ to supervise.”

Scotty, Chekov and Sulu nodded in acknowledgement as the five officers left.

\---

“Any sign of those two missing augments?”

“None, Captain,” said Spock. The five officers were making their way through the medical research section of Starfleet’s headquarters. Jim had been referring to the two members of Khan’s crew who had been brought out of their cryo-tubes; the two had woken up a month ago, somehow escaped and hadn’t been seen since. “Khan is being heavily guarded, and they have not attempted to liberate him. The remaining cryo-tubes have not been touched either, although the empty one which contained the woman has gone missing.”

Jim nodded. It still sickened him, knowing that Admiral Marcus had killed an unborn child in cold blood – a child that had been Khan’s, according to McCoy. Kirk wasn’t surprised that the woman wanted to know how it had happened; she could have the pod for all he cared.

Up ahead Jim spotted Admiral Barnett. The former headmaster of the Academy had assumed command of Starfleet upon the death of Alexander Marcus, and already things were taking a more peaceful route. The African-American was talking to a woman in her thirties, and by her side was a large dog with golden fur, and a girl of about eight. 

Jim at first noticed that Lucille Harewood looked uncertain when she spotted them; she had obviously seen them on the news, he realized. When he and the others walked closer he then noticed that she looked afraid. He sighed inwardly when he realized why; she probably thought they would blame her father for helping Khan, which would lead them to blame her for being the reason her father did what he did. So Jim gave her and her mother the biggest grin he could manage without looking like an idiot.

“Captain Kirk, this is Rima Harewood,” Admiral Barnett introduced.

Rima held out her hand, and Kirk shook it. “Pleased to meet you,” he said, before gesturing to his officers. “This is my First Officer, Mr. Spock; my Chief Medical Officer, Dr. McCoy; my Communications Officer, Lt. Uhura; and this is Lt. Carol Marcus. She’ll soon be my Chief Weapons Specialist.” Carol just rolled her eyes, which Jim ignored.

“A pleasure to meet you all, Captain,” said Rima. She then placed her hands upon Lucille’s shoulders in order to coax her forwards. “This is my daughter, Lucille.”

Lucille looked up at Jim nervously, clutching her stuffed rabbit to her chest. Jim saw the fear in her eyes; if she really _had_ seen the news, she would know that he had almost died because of Khan, Jim realized.

So Jim gave her a warm smile and knelt down to her level. “Hey, cutie. From what I’ve heard, you’re here for a very special reason, am I right?” Lucille hesitantly nodded. “Well, let me tell you a secret: I’m here for that very same reason, too. We’re gonna be sticking together in this. Would you like that?” Lucille nodded again, a small smile on her face; her fear was gone.

Jim rose to his feet and noticed Rima giving him a grateful smile.

“Why don’t we make a move?” the Admiral suggested. Everyone nodded in agreement and began walking.

“Nice work there, Jim,” McCoy whispered to his Captain. “Never knew you were good with kids, but you seemed to cheer her up. First seeing her, she looked like a frightened rabbit ready to dart back into her burrow.”

“Kids need to know that no matter what happens, someone will be there for them,” Jim whispered back. “I didn’t have that when I was a kid; I wanna make sure others don’t experience the same.”

Admiral Barnett spoke, apparently having not heard the private conversation. “There were only a select few who were aware of Harrison’s true identity,” he said. “Most were killed upon the _Vengeance_. The few who survived were either trialled or pardoned, depending on their involvement and if they were involved willingly. One unwilling participant was a man you’ve all heard of; Dr. Roger Korby.”

The crew of the _Enterprise_ all exchanged glances. They knew him by his reputation. “He successfully translated a collection of medical records found in the ruins on Orion,” said McCoy. “In doing so he revolutionized immunological techniques in the Federation.”

“It is a required reading at the Academy,” Spock added. “Although I do not understand why he would have been involved, even if unwillingly; he is a medical archaeologist.”

“He is,” said Barnett. “Which is precisely why he was called upon; Khan Noonien Singh is a three-hundred year old man, practically a relic. Dr. Korby was forced by Admiral Marcus to study Khan, in hopes that his superhuman abilities could be copied and used.”

“But Genetic Engineering was outlawed on Earth directly because of what Khan and his followers did,” said Carol.

Barnett nodded. “Considering what else your father had planned, Lt. Marcus, I don’t think he was too concerned by that. While Dr. Korby had been unwilling, he is currently the only one with enough knowledge to fully understand the side effects caused by the serum. There was another who would have been able to help – a historian, Marla McGivers – but Marcus disposed of her when she became too attached to Khan.”

They finally arrived outside a sealed room; Barnett pressed in a code, allowing the door to open, and stepped inside. The others followed and found themselves in a research lab with various medical equipment scattered across the room, as if the one using them was too absorbed in his work to care about putting them away neatly.

“Illogically untidy,” Spock commented.

McCoy grunted. “Can’t believe we actually agree on something; it’s making me uncomfortable.”

A man was stood looking at a sample through a microscope, and upon realizing he had company, glanced up. Roger Korby was somewhere in his late forties, and while his auburn hair was starting to turn grey, his blue/green eyes still sparkled with youth.

He hurried over to the group, and after giving a respectful nod to the Admiral, he turned his attention towards Kirk. “It’s an honour to meet you, Captain Kirk. I’ve heard so much about you.”

“And we’ve heard so much about you.” Kirk held out his hand, and Dr. Korby shook it with a smile on his face. “I understand that you may be able to help me and this little lady.” He gestured to Lucille, who hung back out of shyness.

Dr. Korby turned to Lucille and sent her a reassuring smile. “I’ll certainly try my best. I learnt so much from Khan while he was here; a true medical marvel, even if I didn’t agree with Marcus’s intentions. Still, can’t say it wasn’t that bad; if I wasn’t here, I’d be freezing to death on an expedition to Exo-III.”

Another door opened at the back of the room before a familiar blonde haired, blue eyed nurse entered, carrying an armful of supplies. Only after she had placed them on one of the worktops did she turn and notice the guests.

It was Kirk who spoke first. “Chapel?”

“Yes, I was informed that you’re already acquainted with my assistant,” said Roger, beckoning her over. She approached hesitantly. “Christine, I’m sure you're happy to see your fellow crew-members again.”

“I am.” She shared a smile with her Academy friend, Carol, and smiled also at McCoy. She only sent Kirk a brief nod, and avoided looking at Spock and Uhura altogether. Spock looked notably uncomfortable while Uhura was obviously trying to hold back her anger.

Dr. Korby gave Jim a friendly slap on the back. “Is it OK if I call you Jim?”

“Only if I can call you Roger?”

“That’s what I wanna hear!” exclaimed Korby. “Now, first things first; I want to take some blood from the two of you, so I can compare it with Khan’s and find out exactly what’s going on. Then we can contemplate what the best move would be.” He turned to the others. “Since the room’s pretty crowded, I’ll have to ask most of you to leave. Two can stay at the most.”

“I’ll stay,” said Rima, still holding her daughter’s hand.

McCoy nodded. “So will I.”

Admiral Barnett left first with a nod, and after Rima had given the family dog – Sonny, they learnt his name was – to Carol, the other three left also.

\---

Once out in the corridor and out of earshot, Nyota let her anger loose. “I can’t believe that woman’s here, too! She has some nerve!”

Spock laid a hand upon her shoulder, attempting to calm her down. “It is apparent that she was working for Dr. Korby long before she knew we would be coming here. It is purely coincidental.”

Uhura reluctantly nodded in agreement. “I can see what you mean. Sorry, my hormones must be acting up.”

“Christine did inform me what happened,” said Carol. “But I suppose it would be best for me to hear your side of the story before I make assumptions.”

Spock looked to his girlfriend for permission, and when she gave it with a nod, he explained. “Christine Chapel had developed an obsession with me during her time aboard the _Enterprise_.”

“Stalking is more like it,” said Nyota.

Carol nodded. “I did get that impression whenever she contacted me.”

“At first it was partly understandable,” Spock continued. “She did not know that I had bonded with Nyota, and her actions were harmless enough. However, as time went on, she discovered the relationship between Nyota and myself and the situation became far worse.”

“She made the mistake of confronting me,” said Nyota.

“I remember her telling me about that,” Carol recalled. She frowned. “Did you really threaten to put her in medical “outside of her day job” if she went near Spock again?”

“No.” The denial was obvious in that one word.

It was certainly news to Spock, whose eyes widened. “Nyota?”

“It served her right!”

Carol rolled her eyes, but didn’t blame Uhura for what she’d done. Christine had seemed a little crazy at that stage.

Spock continued, “Eventually the Captain became involved. He said he would solve the issue – although his idea of how was perhaps not the best.”

“He did what he usually did with women; got them drunk and slept with them.” Uhura rolled her eyes.

“At least that part of what she told me was true,” Carol realized.

“The next morning he explained to Christine that her behaviour was unacceptable, and that she had the choice to either accept the relationship between Nyota and myself or to transfer off the ship,” said Spock. “She chose the latter. We never thought we would see her again.”

The anger returned to Nyota. “I swear, if she causes us any issues-”

“She won’t,” said Carol. When the other two sent her puzzled looks, she further explained. “The truth is, I knew she was working with Roger, although I didn't know he was studying Khan; she never told me. But neither of you should have to worry about her.”

“Why not?” Uhura sent her a questioning look.

“Because Christine is more than Roger’s assistant; she’s his lover.” 


	4. Side Effects

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim and Lucille's new powers are tested by Dr. Korby.

“Lift the weights.”

Jim approached the weights in questions, all attached to a work-out pole, and lifted with both hands. He didn’t expect it to be so easy and ended up stumbling from the shock, dropping them on the floor.

Dr. Korby flinched while Christine hurriedly moved Lucille aside. In the background, Rima jumped from the sudden bang while McCoy only rolled his eyes.

“OK, be a little more prepared next time,” said Korby. He gestured for Kirk to do the same again.

With a sigh, Jim bent down and picked up the weights, with only one hand this time; he lifted them with ease. He tried bouncing the pole in his hand, but it was still too heavy for that and he ended up dropping them. Again.

Korby sighed. “Let’s move you away from that. Lucille, your turn.”

The little girl approached the weights, and placing both hands on the pole, she attempted to lift it. Unlike Jim, it was a struggle for her to keep it above the floor, and she dropped it after five seconds.

“At this rate you’ll both put a hole in my floor.” Korby sighed again, approaching the weights. He took some of them off the pole before stepping back. “Try again.”

Lucille made a second attempt; this time it was much easier to lift and she even held the weights with one hand, although she didn’t try and bounce it in said hand like Jim had attempted to do. She placed them back on the floor carefully.

“See? That’s more like it.” Korby entered something into his PADD. “All right, that’s strength done, and the results of the heart and lung capabilities are in, so I don’t need a repeat of the speed test from earlier; no more glass doors need to be smashed.” Jim coughed into his hand, avoiding eye contact with the doctor.

Korby connected his PADD to the computer, and the results appeared on the screen. Everyone crowded round to look.

“My God, man!” McCoy exclaimed. “With heartbeats like that, your heart muscles must be twice as strong as the average human!”

“And their lungs are fifty per cent more efficient,” Korby added; his eyes were wide with amazement. “On top of this, the tissue in your muscles can remove the build-up of lactic acid three times faster than normal; you could run a marathon and it would feel like a walk in the park!”

Suddenly Korby took out his phaser and shot it at Jim; the Captain fell backwards into a tray of equipment, yelling out in shock. With an exclaim of “Jim!” McCoy rushed to aide his friend with Christine’s help, but upon reaching him they discovered that he was not unconscious.

“That phaser was on the highest stun setting,” said Korby. “Amazing.”

“A little heads up would have been nice.” McCoy turned his attention to his friend as he helped him to his feet. “Jim, are you alright?”

Jim shrugged. “Nothing physical. I don’t feel drowsy, I haven’t been bruised; I feel fine. A little annoyed, but fine.”

“Like Khan, he can take the highest stun setting on a phaser without falling unconscious,” said Korby. “Lucille would most likely only be resistant to a lower setting.”

Rima immediately placed her daughter behind her. “You’re not going to stun her, too.”

Korby shook his head in her direction before turning to Jim. “I apologize for the sudden attack, but it was necessary,” the doctor explained. He disconnected the PADD from the computer and entered the new information. “If I had told you, Jim, then your body would have prepared for it and the test wouldn’t have been as effective. Taking you by surprise, I can determine your body’s full potential.”

Jim sighed, his annoyance still visible. “So now that you’re done zapping me, what now?”

“One more physical test, and then we’ll move on to the mental ones. I’ve called your Vulcan Science Officer for assistant with the latter.” As he said this the door opened and Spock entered, his expression unchanged from when Jim last saw him. Christine immediately lowered her head and retreated to the back of the room.

Kirk acknowledged Spock with a nod before turning back to Korby. “So, what’s this last physical test you have to- OW!”

He spun once again to face Spock, battering away the hand the Vulcan had used to apply the Nerve Pinch.

“Spock! What was that for, you green-blooded hob-goblin?!” McCoy berated him.

“Don’t blame Mr. Spock for following orders; I asked him to do it,” said Korby. Upon examining Jim’s shoulder, he jotted down his findings onto the PADD. “It was mentioned in the debriefing that Khan could shake off the Vulcan Nerve Pinch, if painfully, and I wanted to test it. It was necessary that you didn’t see it coming-”

“I know, I get it.” Kirk rubbed his shoulder. “Man, that hurt…”

“My apologies, Captain,” said Spock. “Although congratulations for not collapsing to the floor within the second, as you did the last time I applied it to you.”

“Don’t remind me. And why am I the one getting picked on with this stuff?”

“I can’t test this stuff on Lucille,” said Korby. “She’s only a child.”

Lucille gave Jim the most adorable smile in the world. Jim sighed, knowing Korby was right, and finding himself unable to resent the little girl when she gave him a smile like that.

\---

“Nurse, can you hand me that book?”

Christine paused to pick up the book Jim requested, and handed it to him while trying to avoid eye contact. Jim understood why; their last encounter hadn’t been pleasant for either of them, especially for her. And said encounter had come about because of unpleasant circumstances.

When Christine turned to leave again, Jim gentle grabbed her wrist to prevent her. “Do not touch me, Captain,” said the Nurse.

“It’s Jim; I’m not your Captain anymore.” Jim sighed and removed his arm. “Listen, I want to apologize for what happened. I went about confronting you the wrong way; I should have just requested a meeting and explained the situation to you that way. But I didn’t; I took advantage of you, and I’m sorry.”

Christine finally looked him in the eye. “I agree that is what you should have done, but it would not have had the same impact on me,” she explained. “What you did made me realize there was a situation which I hadn’t noticed before.”

“You _had_ realized it,” Jim corrected. “You just went about solving it the wrong way. That still didn’t give me the right to do what I did. Carol said you were still upset.”

“I’m over it now.”

“So I see.” And yet, Jim didn’t entirely believe that she was. “Carol also said you were much happier.”

“I was working on the outer frontier when Roger approached me,” she explained. “We’d met before, when he organized a lecture in bio-research at the Academy, as part of the recruitment program. I’d been so mesmerized by him; the way he talked about his job with such passion. It almost made me sign up for a career in bio-research…but then I met Spock, and decided to train as a Nurse instead.” She looked away.

Jim attempted to change the subject. “So are you two… Roger and you, I mean…”

She nodded. “He’s helped me move on.”

Again, looking at the expression on her face, Jim didn’t believe that she had truly moved on; from the hurt of what he had done, from her heart aching for Spock…

But he wasn’t going to say anything. Once these tests were done and dusted, he and his crew would leave and they’d never have to see Christine again.

\---

When Dr. Korby re-entered the room and asked her and Jim to put their books down, Lucille felt that she hadn’t learnt enough information in order to take the test. While she’d noticed that her reading had become far more advanced than it’d previously been, along with her understanding of that reading, this didn’t mean she would be able to remember everything she’d read.

“Alright, I’ll ask Mr. Spock to take it from here,” said Korby, stepping aside.

The Vulcan stepped up to the front of the room. “Who would like to go first?”

Plucking up her courage, Lucille rose from her seat and crossed the room, coming to a stop in front of Spock. He gave her a nod before he explained that he was going to ask her a series of questions, and that she had to answer as quickly and correctly as possible. Lucille was still uncertain, but nodded anyway.

He asked the first question, and to her utter surprise, she knew the answer immediately.

This continued; Spock would ask her a question, and Lucille would have the answer instantly. All this knowledge – most of which she hadn’t even known before finding it in the books provided – was stored away in her little mind, ready to pull out whenever she needed it, and taking her by surprise each and every time.

Once the questions were over, the impressed Spock sent Lucille back to her seat, whereupon she was congratulated by her shocked but proud mother. Spock then turned to Jim. “Your turn, Captain. And be assured that I will not be going easy on you, as I did with her.”

Jim stared at him, wide eyed. “All that complicated knowledge was going easy?”

“You did not know the answers?”

“I _did_. But…damn.”

\---

“They have all the qualities of a genuine augment,” Korby reported hours later. Admiral Barnett, Carol and Uhura had re-joined everyone in the lab, along with Sonny, who had laid himself down by Lucille’s feet. “Enhanced strength, enhanced speed, enhanced senses, enhanced intelligence, a powerful set of lungs and heart, and a strong resistance to things which would normally render a human unconscious. Lucille is not as powerful as Jim because of the same reason an ordinary child is not as strong as an ordinary adult; she’ll get stronger as she grows older.”

“That’s great,” said McCoy, resisting the urge to roll his eyes, “but what we came here to find out was exactly _how_ this happened, and if it can be fixed.”

Roger brought up an animation on the screen; it was of blood cells. “After examining the blood samples provided, I was able to determine what happened; what you can see is a re-enactment.”

On the screen were ordinary blood cells, all dying. Then a group of new blood cells mixed among them, healing them. But then the new blood cells began to affect the ordinary ones; they were changing shape and colour, essentially becoming what had saved them.

“When both patients were injected with the serum, it did more than just heal them!” Korby continued. He was practically jumping up and down with excitement. “I’m not quite sure what or whereabouts it is, but in that blood is something which causes the regeneration of cells at a rapid rate. And in this part of the blood – the regeneration cell I’m calling it – the genetic code of the augments is locked in, ready to be copied into a new body. So when it was injected into both Jim and Lucille, it began the process of altering their DNA itself!”

“Almost like a mutation,” said Spock.

“Not mutation, Mr. Spock,” said Korby. “ _Evolution_. The regenerative properties not only healed the body, but it helped the body evolve into so much more.”

“So, there’s no way to change them back?” asked Rima.

Korby shrugged. “I’ll have to do more research, and while I doubt the process can be reversed, I may be able to find a way to prevent side effects from appearing in anyone else, should the serum be used on other patients in the future. But there’s something else you should know, as well.” His expression changed from excitement to serious; there was a flip side to the coin, as there always was.

“I don’t like the sound of that,” said McCoy.

Roger brought up a file onto the screen. “When I worked with Lt. McGivers before she was…disposed of, we were able to uncover the notes of Dr. Stavos Keniclius; one of the top scientists involved in creating the augments back in the 20th century. He said that while the augments were more superior in every way, there was a defect in their genome. While their strength, speed, senses and intelligence were enhanced, several of their emotions were as well; specifically, they were more aggressive, arrogant and ambitious. Superior ability breeds superior ambition.”

“But I already said that I haven’t felt any power-mad urges,” said Jim.

Lucille spoke up. “I felt anger when I hurt those two boys. I knew what I was doing, but I forgot that it was bad; it didn’t matter to me, because I wanted to hurt those boys and I somehow knew that I _could_. The feeling went away again and I feel horrible about doing it, but at the time…” She trailed off, looking down at her feet while her mother wrapped an arm around her in comfort.

“If I keep looking into it, I should be able to find a way to fix this defect,” said Roger.

“We had better hope you find a way soon, Dr. Korby,” said the Admiral. “Because if not, then Captain Kirk would be deemed too dangerous in command and would have to resign from his position.”


	5. The Augments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Khan's followers decide it's time to rescue their leader...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The backstory of the augments was inspired by another story I read over on FanFic.Net, although I can’t remember the name of it or who wrote it. The idea that the augments took the names of Earth’s greatest rulers was either from the same story or a different one, but shortly after writing this story I found out that Khan giving himself the name ‘Khan’ is canon, according to the 'Star Trek: Khan' comic. It made me smile.

A mother’s first reaction upon discovering that her child has been killed is to seek out those responsible for the act. And once the guilty had been determined, they would be made aware of what they did in the most painful way possible.

Victoria Kati Ahart wanted this. She wanted to personally march into Starfleet, kill anyone and everyone, then destroy every building there just to make her point clear. They had murdered her unborn child, and they would pay the dear price for their mistake.

But she held back at the thought of her lover; the man she had vowed to serve wherever he led her and the rest of their kind. He had taught her long ago that patience was a virtue, and that with time the perfect revenge will present itself. Mindlessly lashing out was foolish and costly in the long run; she had to plan out what to do, and only then would she be able to strike such a blow it would cripple her enemies for years to come.

And so she waited.

A month had passed since she’d been awoken from her sleep, expecting to see the face of her lover as he informed her they had landed upon a planet desperate for their rule; a place where they could raise their child in peace.

Instead she had woken up to the face of her half-brother, Washington Joaquin Wess, who’d informed her that something had gone terribly wrong; that they were somehow back on Earth, and that the rest of the crew were missing.

She had almost screamed upon realizing that her unborn child was gone.

It was Washington’s coaxing words that had convinced her to escape with him and not enact her revenge then and there. He had reminded her that their family was still missing, waiting to be found, and that they needed a plan before they struck out at those who had wronged them. Victoria eventually agreed and left with him.

Only he had ever been able to talk sense into her, besides Khan of course.

All the augments they had grown up with had been born of different mothers and fathers; it was part of the experiment, so they would be able to marry one another and produce children like themselves without the engineering and the hassle. Their mother had been an exception; Washington had not only been a perfect specimen, but the woman had also survived the birth, something which the other women had been unable to do. With a different father, she bore Victoria – but it was that birth which came at the cost of her life.

Being brother and sister, Victoria and Washington had been placed in the same unit, where they’d vowed to look out for one another. The faculties were infamous for mindless and random killings because of the induced aggressive nature of the augments – some killings which both siblings had been involved with, if only in self-defence.

Khan had been placed in the same faculty. Since he’d been a young child, Victoria had noticed that he was different from the others. While still like them in every single way, he suppressed his aggression and would not allow it to control him. Both Victoria and Washington had thought this to be a good trait to have; it would help him in the long run when it came to ruling those inferior to them. It was a sign of his superior intellect, even among them, and they held high respect for him.

Others, however, saw things differently; they thought that it was weakness, and one day Khan had been attacked by three others who thought themselves better. Victoria and Washington had come to Khan’s aide, and together they’d added three more bodies to the list of augments that had been killed in fights.

And then, with Khan stood before them, Victoria and Washington had knelt.

“We are yours to command,” Washington had said.

“Wherever you lead us,” Victoria had added.

Many had followed their example afterwards, and soon Khan had found himself with seventy-two followers, each with their own skill to contribute to the cause. But Victoria and Washington were always among the high command in his crew, and remained so throughout his rule. She supposed it was _because_ they were working together that Khan was the only augment to conquer multiple countries unlike the individual augments, and was also able to hold them for the longest.

It wasn’t long after the crew had come together that they’d selected their names.

During their childhood, they had only been known by the names which their mothers had called them and their fathers had given without choice. Victoria had only been known as Kati Ahart, Washington as Joaquin Wess, and Khan as only Noonien Singh. It had been Khan’s decision to name themselves after the great leaders from Earth’s history, himself taking the name of the great khans who once ruled the East as he intended to rule the world. Washington had taken the name of America’s first president, as a sign of a new beginning, while Victoria had taken the name of the monarch who had led Great Britain to conquer their empire.

Victoria was uncertain of exactly when she and Khan became lovers, but it happened, and soon the two of them had been expecting a child; a daughter, who they were intending to name Elizabeth, after the only world leader who had not been intimidated by the augments and had led the other nations of the world against them. Khan rarely respected his enemies, but the Queen of England had been an exception.

When it became clear that all was lost, Washington had been tasked with creating seventy-three cryo-tubes for them to sleep in while their ship – a sleeper they had stolen from Australia, named the _SS Botany Bay_ – would explore the galaxy, looking for a suitable planet for them to rule over. Washington had warned her that it would be risky for her to be put into cryo-sleep while pregnant, but it was even riskier for a new born baby to do the same, so they had decided upon the lesser danger.

Her half-brother had first thought it was his fault the baby had been lost and had asked her to kill him for his failure, but even if that had turned out to be the case she would not have done so. After they escaped the hospital they’d discovered the location of their cryo-tubes where the truth had become clear. It had been sabotaged; her baby had been killed intentionally.

They had been able to steal a device which had recorded a debriefing on what had happened; Victoria had been determined to find the one responsible, and was more than satisfied when she learnt that the man who had killed her child was dead – his head crushed by Khan. And while she still looked down upon those who were inferior, she was grateful to the doctor who had saved her life and had cleaned her out – and had also shown his disgust at the act which had been done to her.

“It looks like we’re done here.”

Victoria was brought out of her reminiscing by Washington, who was exiting the cockpit of the grounded ship. With nowhere else to go and knowing that it would be too difficult to conquer Earth, the two siblings had decided to leave with their fellow augments and find another, lesser planet to rule over. They had stolen a ship large enough to contain them all, and for the month that had passed since awakening, the pair had been familiarizing themselves with its advanced technology. Washington was particularly impressed with the ‘warp-drive’ which had come about during their centuries sleep.

“Then it’s time to retrieve the rest of our family,” said Victoria. While they had been able to locate Khan – being held in a Starfleet cell, still very much awake – they had been so far unable to locate the rest of their brethren. They hoped Khan would know their whereabouts, and had not liberated him yet so as not to bring attention to themselves; while Starfleet already knew they were missing, they didn’t appear to be that desperate to find them for the time being.

Washington nodded in agreement. “It’s already dark; there’s no need to wait.”

And so they set out.

Her half-brother had always been gifted when it came to cracking codes and breaking into buildings with high security, so getting inside the Starfleet security centre wasn’t difficult. They had already changed into security uniforms which they had stolen earlier on, and the only challenge was making sure no one saw their faces – which really wasn’t a challenge at all, as there was hardly anyone around and the hallways were dark.

When they showed up outside Khan’s holding cell, the two security officers that were stood on guard sighed with relief, not even bothering to check IDs. “Finally, we’re getting relieved!” said the first.

“I’m with you there, mate,” agreed the second. “C’mon, let’s get to the bars before they get us to do something else.” Both left without another word.

Washington and Victoria glanced at the retreating men before exchanging glances. “That went better than I expected,” said Washington.

“For you maybe, Wash,” said Victoria. “I was looking forward to killing those two.” She allowed her half-brother to bypass the cell’s security system, and once the energy barrier was down she hurried inside…and froze.

A picture of Khan had been attached to the debriefing they had stolen, so Victoria was prepared for the change her lover had undergone in order to hold a secret identity; from Indian to Caucasian. It was him, but not him at the same time. But it didn’t matter to her.

It still took her slightly off guard when she entered the cell and stood before him.

He had obviously heard them talking outside and had risen from where he’d been sat on the floor, an expression of relief clear upon his face. If Victoria remembered rightly, the debriefing had mentioned that he’d thought he’d killed them all when a number of torpedoes detonated… Although she expected him to take her into his arms after going for so long without seeing her; instead his emotions were mostly concealed, as they always were when in the presence of the inferior.

She didn’t question it, though. He’d obviously been though a lot, and she understood that. “We’re alright,” she told him. “But our child…”

“I killed the man who did it,” said Khan. He then looked at Washington, surprised. “I did not know you had been awoken.”

“They took me out of my cryo-tube so their Captain could be placed in one,” said Washington. “But to more important matters; I’ve found a ship for us, so that we may escape this world and find another to rule, like we had intended. We hoped you would know where the rest of our brethren are being kept; we couldn’t find the location on any of the records, and they never mentioned where in the debriefing. We’ve already searched the entire security centre but have found no one. They’re not in the hospital, either; they must be in another building.”

Khan shook his head. “Unfortunately I do not know where they are. But we will find them; I’ve risked too much to simply leave them behind now. We will search wherever we must, and we will continue to search for them until they are found.”

“Agreed, my love,” said Victoria. “Now we must leave before the real security replacements arrive.”

\---

Roger Korby’s fascination with the augments only grew the more he examined them.

He was examining three who had been removed from their cryo-tubes, but kept in an induced coma; a woman of Brazilian decent, a man of African descent, and another man who appeared to be Irish. The doctor smiled to himself as he looked over the results for the tests he had conducted on the Captain and the girl earlier that day, comparing them with the DNA of the three augments.

He’d never thought he would ever lie to anyone, but it had been necessary in order to prevent from being prosecuted by the courts. While he had been forced into the assignment by Admiral Marcus at first, he had eventually become a willing participant – to the extent that handing over Marla McGivers had affected him little.

“I’ve noticed that you seem a lot happier recently.”

Korby turned to acknowledge Nurse Chapel, who was preparing equipment for the next test. “Of course I am!” he replied. “We’re on the verge of a medical breakthrough! Think of what we could accomplish by studying these people! No one will ever have to be afraid of falling ill again; life expectancies of humans will challenge that of a Vulcan’s!” Christine flinched a little at the mention of Vulcans, but she said nothing. “Life will be better for all mankind; think about it, Christine!”

“But genetic engineering has been outlawed,” said the nurse. “These people are only here because of what happened last time someone attempted this, or have you forgotten all about the Eugenics Wars, Roger?”

“Of course not, Christine.” He approached his lover and placed both hands on her shoulders, bringing her closer to him. “And I’m only talking about their blood; there’s nothing wrong with using it to find cures for diseases. Once I’ve figured out a way to prevent it from causing those side effects, mankind will be saved.”

He leaned in and placed a deep kiss on her lips, which she returned.

They had barely pulled apart when a security officer entered the lab. “Dr. Korby, we have a situation.”

“What is it?”

“Khan has escaped,” said the officer. “We think he was liberated by the two others who escaped last month.”

Korby sighed, leaning against one of the worktops as his mind processed what he had been told. “This is…unfortunate.”

“We think they will attempt to find the rest of their brethren,” the security officer continued. “Since you have been placed in charge of the other augments, it is up to you to decide what to do with them.”

The doctor looked over at the three augments still asleep; he knew that if Khan found the rest of his crew and awoke them, it would not be good news for the Federation. This man had almost brought down Starfleet single-handedly; he didn’t want to take the risk and find out what seventy-three of them could do while working together. The Earth had barely been able to take them down the first time.

He decided it was time to do what he had been planning on doing anyway. “Kill them. All of them.”

The security officer looked almost horrified, but nodded all the same. “What about those three?”

“I’ll keep them alive for now,” said Korby. “I’m still using them. Oh, and make sure you and the rest of your men take that medicine I gave you. Wouldn’t want you catching Andorian shingles, would we?”

The security officer left, and Christine watched him go before turning back to her lover; her face showed uncertainty.


	6. Alone in the Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> True colours are revealed...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter includes violence and child abuse.

“Jim, I thought Dr. Korby was giving you more tests today?”

Jim tried to ignore McCoy as he walked down the halls of the _Enterprise_ , checking up on the repairs to his damaged ship. All in all, things were going very well, and they would be ready to warp very soon. He gave a worker a pat on the back, telling them to keep up the good work, in hopes that McCoy would think he hadn’t heard him.

McCoy, however, wasn’t fooled; he strode up to his friend and laid a firm hand on his shoulder, turning him. “Don’t tell me you flunked, Jim! Your condition is serious! The minute the aggression and arrogance sets in, you’ll be forced to resign!”

“But it hasn’t happened yet, has it?” said Jim. “I’m feeling fine; I haven’t had any urges to punch people in the face or to take over the world. Think about it; if I’d turned into a raging madman, you’d be dead on the floor right about now.”

The doctor reluctantly agreed. “It’s still only a matter of time, Jim.”

“I get it, and I’m taking the matter seriously,” his friend said. “Besides, Roger said he only needed Lucille today.”

More would have been discussed between the two had Spock not arrived, at a speed which suggested that he brought urgent news with him. Yet despite his speed, his stance had not changed from his usual calm.

“Captain, Lt. Uhura was contacted by Starfleet command about an urgent matter. She relayed the information to me so I may relay it to you,” he said. “Khan has escaped.”

Kirk sighed, screwing his eyes shut as his head rolled back. “Of all the things… When did it happen?”

“Last night,” said Spock. “It is logical that the two augments who escaped a month prior were the ones who liberated him from his cell. And considering Starfleet still stands, the trio are biding their time before they inevitably attack.”

“Yeah, great deduction, Sherlock.” Kirk sighed once more. “Does Roger know?”

“He was informed last night so he could hide his files and order the transfer of the remaining seventy augments.” Spock then turned to McCoy. “I advise that you also hide your files about the subject, doctor. You were copying Dr. Korby’s findings and adding them to your own, were you not?”

“Yeah, and I suppose I better take your advice, for once.” McCoy left, muttering about the universe imploding because of his agreement with the Vulcan.

With the doctor gone, Jim and Spock began to slowly walk down the _Enterprise_ ’s halls. “So does this mean our departure will be delayed?” asked the former.

“It appears so,” replied the latter. “Admiral Barnett would like us to assist with the hunt for Khan because of our experience in dealing with him. I suggest we beam down to Earth immediately.”

They began to make their way towards the transporter room, but their speed never changed.

“How’s Uhura?” asked Kirk.

“She has begun to experience the human condition of ‘morning sickness’, which Dr. McCoy assures me is normal in the first stages of a human pregnancy,” said Spock. “He and Dr. M’Benga will be monitoring her closely should complications arise, although considering the baby is mostly human, logically the pregnancy should run smoothly. I also confided in my father and my counterpart on the matter.”

“Were they surprised?”

Spock’s left eyebrow rose slightly, which Kirk had come to nickname the ‘fascinating eyebrow’. “My father was not. He knew of my bond with Nyota, and logically reasoned that my first Pon Farr would result in the conception of a child. My counterpart, however, was surprised simply because he never had the chance to become a father, nor did he ever experience a relationship with anyone.”

Jim gave a blink of surprise. “Really? Not even Uhura?”

“He admitted to experiencing romantic tension with her, but it never became anything more than that.” Spock almost sighed. “One difference between our universes is that he disregarded human emotions entirely in his younger years, while I learnt early on from my mother that there was no shame in at least cautiously experiencing my human half. My counterpart did not realize this until his later years – thanks to you, apparently.”

Kirk understood. He could remember seeing the vague emotion in the elder Spock’s eyes during their first encounter; the Vulcan’s genuine pleasure at seeing his old friend again. “So, you didn’t get much advice from him, then? Regarding the pregnancy stuff?”

“He provided me with some form of advice: to not make the same mistakes he did and to hold onto what I have, for while Vulcans do not hold regrets, his human half holds one.” Spock looked down, and Kirk didn’t have to guess what that one regret was, after what his friend had just explained. “I had hoped there would be more. I am uncertain about becoming a father. Considering my Vulcan heritage, I fear that I may become as distanced from him or her as my own father was from me.”

“Spock, you’ll be a great dad,” said Jim. He then gave his First Officer a hesitant look. “So, err…does your whole bond thing with Uhura mean you can sense her emotions?”

“It does.”

“Good. ‘Cause I need you to tell me if she’s about to experience a mood swing. Then I can run the other way really fast.”

Spock could understand why his Captain would want to; even he had to admit that an angry Nyota was a _scary_ Nyota.

\---

“Good morning, Lucille!” Korby happily greeted the little girl as she arrived in the lab, holding her mother’s hand and her dog’s lead. “Did you sleep well last night?”

Lucille only shrugged, but it was one of innocence which meant that her sleep was neither good nor bad. “It was alright, I guess.”

“Great!” He patted the bed which had been set up in the room, and Lucille took this as a cue to hop onto it. Dr. Korby began to examine her. “Have you had any changes in your mood? Like what you felt before?”

She shook her head. “No. I feel fine.”

“As I thought,” said Korby. He turned to Rima. “While it’s just a theory, it appears that at the moment, the aggression only comes out whenever she gets emotional; specifically, when she experiences such emotions as fear or anger. I can’t determine whether this will become a constant aggression; that’s one of the things I’ll be testing her on today.”

“Where’s Captain Kirk?” asked the girl, looking around in hopes of seeing the Captain.

“He couldn’t come today; he had to see to the repairs on his ship.” Korby sent her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry; you’ll see him again.” He then turned back to Rima. “These tests require specialist observation, Mrs. Harewood, which means that unfortunately you’ll have to wait outside. The dog as well.”

Lucille looked afraid as she turned from Korby to her mother. Rima looked a little worried as well, but sighed and nodded in understanding.

“I have to give Sonny a walk, anyway,” she said. “And the Admiral wants to speak with me about what will happen to Lucille and I once we leave. What my husband did still hasn’t been ignored by the public.”

“Mummy, will you be back?” asked Lucille, still afraid.

“Of course I will,” assured her mother. “You need to be brave and do as Dr. Korby says. Remember that he’s here to help you.”

Lucille nodded, swallowing her fear and attempting to look strong for her mother. It wasn’t very hard; she had been trying to look strong ever since her father died.

Rima turned to go, but found that Sonny refused to move. “Sonny? Come on, boy.”

But the dog remained frozen in place, his gaze fixed upon Korby. If he had been human, his expression would have been one of suspicion; he didn’t trust this man with his owner’s child, and wanted to remain behind in order to protect her from harm.

Rima’s tugging eventually won out, and she led him from the room.

Once the two were gone, Lucille turned to Korby. “So what tests am I doing today?” she asked.

“Well, we need to put you in a room,” Korby explained, “where I’ll be testing your abilities. Sort of like yesterday, only more advanced.”

“More advanced?” The girl sent him a confused look.

He nodded. “Because you’re a very special and smart little girl, we need to give you bigger and better tests. Captain Kirk will be taking the same tests later, but for now it’s all about you.”

Lucille liked the sound of that, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something Dr. Korby wasn’t telling her. He hadn’t even explained what the tests were; only that she needed to be put in a room, and she got the feeling that she would be alone in there. She didn’t like the idea of that, but she had to do what he said, so couldn’t argue.

They left the lab and walked down a small, private hallway leading to another room. Upon entering, she saw that it looked rather like a recording studio; there was a control panel with chairs near the door, with a window above. This window showed another, smaller room which was all white, with a chair in the centre which looked like one which dentists used.

Nurse Chapel was there, holding the smaller room’s door open. “Are you ready, Lucille?” she asked.

Knowing she really didn’t have a choice, Lucille nodded. Christine then took her hand and led her inside the room. The girl sat herself down on the chair, reasoning this was what they wanted her to do; why else would the chair be there?

Christine then left the room and shut the door behind her, locking it. She went to stand next to Korby, who had taken a seat in front of the control panel. “Can you hear me, Lucille?”

“Yes,” said the girl. “What are you going to do?”

“Just a few tests.” Again, he didn’t say what these tests were.

Lucille began to feel uneasy; she was alone in this white room, sitting on a dentist’s chair, and she didn’t even know what was going to happen. Her body grew tense.

“Now,” said Korby, “this is going to hurt a little. But it’s necessary; we need to understand what’s happening to you so we can make you better. OK?”

Before Lucille even had the chance to nod, a mechanical arm appeared from behind the chair and pinched her shoulder. But it wasn’t an ordinary pinch – it was a Vulcan Nerve Pinch.

Lucille screamed from the pain. She leapt up in an attempt to get away from it, and while she was able to dislodge her shoulder from the arm, it didn’t stop her vision from showing patches of darkness, like her body was trying to decide whether to black out or not. Lucille stumbled over to the wall and leant against it as she took in deep breaths, trying to stop herself from collapsing.

“That hurt more than a little!” she yelled, once she was certain she had recovered.

But looking at the window, Lucille realized that she wasn’t leaving the room any time soon. Korby’s expression almost matched the Vulcan’s from the day before – ‘almost’, because the Vulcan still showed some emotion. Korby’s expression, however, showed nothing. He didn’t even care that she could have been seriously hurt.

Nurse Chapel looked worried, but she didn’t act upon it, and instead looked down when Lucille turned the pleading glance on her. “Please let me out,” the girl begged.

Korby’s expression never changed. “Hold still.”

Lucille did the opposite and ran from where she was standing, missing the stun blast which had been aimed in her direction. The next stun hit her, and she yelped before leaping out of the way again, although awkwardly as the stun had made her feel drowsy. She leaned against the wall once again.

“Let’s try a lower setting.”

The girl instantly leapt aside to avoid another stun blast, but the next one hit her. It didn’t have the same effect the previous one had on her, for she remained alert enough to dodge two more.

“Let me out!” she yelled. She made for the door and attempted to force it open, but she was only able to rip off the handle. The girl tried kicking it; the door wouldn’t budge.

“Hold your breath,” said Korby. “It’ll be getting hot in there.”

Suddenly the room lit up, and Lucille covered her eyes from the shock. The room grew hotter; Lucille could feel the heat against her skin, and the smell made her realize exactly what had happened. Removing her arms from over her eyes confirmed it – somehow, Korby had set the room on fire.

She looked over at the window and saw that Christine’s eyes were wide with panic. Korby’s expression still remained unchanged, however.

“I’ve been curious about this scenario,” he said. “What will happen first; will you burn, or suffocate? And if it’s the latter, will you be able to recover?”

The fear began to build within Lucille. She remembered the bullies who had pushed her over and had started to kick her. Their faces filled with hatred appeared in the window’s reflection, either side of Korby’s expressionless face. And as the eight-year-old stared, trying to inhale the remaining oxygen into her lungs, something inside her shifted.

The fear became anger, and that anger burnt as fiercely as the raging fire around her. It was nothing compared to what she’d felt towards the bullies; this was bigger.

Korby didn’t understand what she could do – but she _did_.

With a cry of anger, Lucille charged at the window. Only then did Korby’s expression change – to one of fear. His face was the last thing she saw as she jumped and smashed through the window.

\---

When Lucille awoke, she was laying on the same bed she had so innocently leapt onto earlier that day.

The first thing she noticed was that the rage was gone, as was the fire. She felt calm…until she remembered what had brought on the rage and the fire, and began to panic. She wanted to see her mother, Captain Kirk, anyone but…

“You’re awake.”

She immediately sat up and turned to see Dr. Korby sat beside her. In the background Nurse Chapel was working on something, but Lucille couldn’t see what as the blonde’s back was turned.

“You’ve been unconscious for most of the day,” Korby continued. “We had to use the strongest stun setting to knock you out; we didn’t have a choice after you attacked us.”

“You didn’t give _me_ a choice.” Lucille wanted to glare at him in anger, to try and scare him away, but she couldn’t access her earlier rage. Only fear remained – and she also noticed that the guilt she’d felt the last time around wasn’t present.

“It was amazing what you did,” said the doctor. “That glass was designed to prevent even a Vulcan from smashing it – and you shattered the entire thing, and then had the energy to get up and attack Nurse Chapel and I! And this was after you failed to break the door!”

“Which means…?” But Lucille wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer.

“As I theorized before, you can’t access your full potential unless you become emotional,” Korby explained. “In that case, the emotion was fear, which turned into anger, which let out that aggression which had been suppressed. Simply amazing!”

Lucille tried to look brave. “It wasn’t amazing; it was horrible! And just you wait until Mummy finds out what you did to me!”

But then the bravery faded when Korby’s pleasant expression disappeared, replacing it with one not even the bad man could copy. Lucille sunk down into her pillow in her futile attempt to get away from him.

“If you do that, then bad things will happen, Lucille,” said the doctor. “To you _and_ your mother.” 


	7. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things take a turn for the worst...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Things get dark at the end of this chapter. If the rating needs to be higher, please tell me.

Jim and Spock arrived in Admiral Barnett’s office and were surprised to find Rima already there with the family dog lying by her feet.

“Mrs. Harewood, I didn’t expect you to be here,” said Jim. Sonny stood up with his tail wagging, and the Captain gave him a pat on the head.

“Call me Rima,” said the woman. “Admiral Barnett wanted to discuss what would happen to Lucille and I once we leave.”

Both officers understood what she meant; it was Starfleet policy that if anyone was killed in action, the Federation would have to help that person’s family financially until they could stand on their own feet, if ever. Of course, in Rima’s case, there was the added luggage of her husband being a suicide bomber, even if an unwilling one.

“The rest of our conversation may have to wait, Mrs. Harewood, but I would like you to stay.” The Admiral sighed. “You may not have been previously informed, but last night Khan Noonien Singh escaped from his cell. We suspect he was aided by the two augments that went missing a month ago.”

Rima’s eyes widened. “You didn’t inform me right away?”

“We didn’t want to worry you, or your daughter,” said Barnett. “We have taken every security measure to ensure the safety of the both of you, along with Dr. Korby’s work. As far as we’re aware, Khan doesn’t know about Lucille – or you, Captain Kirk.”

Spock raised an eyebrow. “But it was he who offered to save Lucille’s life by creating the serum, and he assisted Dr. McCoy in creating it again for Jim. Why would he not know?”

“Because if he did, then it would mean he knew about the side effects of the serum. Khan doesn’t seem like the kind of man to give his blood to anyone who could potentially become a rival,” the Admiral explained. “He perhaps only thought the serum’s regenerative properties would do as intended before the cells died.”

Jim frowned. “McCoy did mention that. It’s why we were all so surprised when we received that report.”

“But you wished for us to help find him?” asked Spock, getting back onto the subject.

“Yes.” The Admiral rose from his desk. “We’re not sure what they’re planning, but we at least know one part of it; a civilian ship, warp-capable, was stolen less than a month ago, about a week after the escape of the two other augments. With the security measures attached to every single ship in this city, you should already know that this is highly unusual.”

“So they stole a ship,” said Jim. “And since it’s warp-capable, that means they plan to travel off world.”

“Khan did say that once he had retrieved his crew, he intended to continue what he and his people set out to do,” Spock added. “To conquer those whom he deemed inferior. It seems logical that he will lead his crew to a planet with a less civilized society in order to do this.”

Admiral Barnett approached a holographic map of the galaxy, charting every area which had been explored by Starfleet; Class M planets had been highlighted, with a brief description of the life upon that world. Several were listed as containing intelligent life, but not intelligent enough to initiate the First Contact Protocol. Jim recognized Nibiru as one of them, on the lower end of the scale – meaning that it would probably be hundreds, if not thousands of years before they could make contact – and briefly wondered what impact his ship had on them.

“We’ll place a surveillance ship around each of these planets, in case we don’t stop Khan before he leaves Earth. We can’t have any more breaches in the Prime Directive.” He shot Kirk a short glare, which the young Captain chose to ignore. “In the meantime, Captain, we would like you, and any member of your crew who you can spare, to be on the lookout for anything suspicious. Ideally he must be caught before he even _begins_ to leave the planet.”

“The logical thing to do would be to set a trap using Khan’s crew,” Spock suggested. “I highly doubt he would want to leave without them again; we will be able to catch him when he makes the attempt to liberate them.”

Admiral Barnett nodded. “Dr. Korby is the one who has the final say in decisions concerning the remaining augments. You will have to ask him for his compliance before making plans; he reported to me last night that he has moved the cryo-tubes to a safe location, although didn’t say where in case Khan was listening in.”

Rima, who had been silent throughout, chose that moment to speak up. “Wait, so Khan actually cares about the well-being of his crew?”

“There is no black and white in the world,” said Spock. “Only shades of grey. Even the most ruthless of men and women have at least one redeeming factor; the Romulan Nero had a wife whom he loved, Admiral Marcus had his daughter, and Khan will do anything to protect his crew.”

The expression on Rima’s face became one of sympathy. “That’s…kinda sad. It makes you feel bad about hating them, no matter what they’ve done.”

“It was that which made us think we could trust him,” said Kirk. “I don’t like to admit it, but my determination to protect my crew is the one similarity I share with Khan – apart from the whole blood thing now. I thought it was the reason why he surrendered to us; because he knew I would sympathize with him. And I thought he would sympathize with me, but I was wrong about that. Not saying that I don’t feel bad for him; I’m just saying that you may not always be able to count on that redeeming factor.”

Barnett nodded. “And we’ll be sure not to make the same mistake again.”

\---

It was early evening when Rima was finally able to head back to the lab with Sonny in tow. She hoped that Lucille would forgive her for being late, but it really hadn’t been her fault.

Once the Captain and Spock had left, the discussion between Rima and the Admiral had continued which eventually resulted in the decision that the Harewoods should remain in San Francisco. Despite the news that said Thomas wasn’t responsible for the memorial bombing, it didn’t change the opinions of those in London; going back wouldn’t be healthy for either of them. Those in San Francisco, both had realized, didn’t make a fuss because they were more concerned about the attack on their city which had caused thousands more to die. The rubble was still being cleared.

Rima had spent most of her time held up in immigration, signing forms. The rest of the time she’d spent in an office being interviewed, in hopes of being chosen as a secretary for one of the Admirals at Starfleet; it had been Admiral Barnett’s idea, so they could keep an eye on the mother and the daughter should anything happen.

The woman sighed as she made her way through the hallways towards the lab, looking forwards to seeing her daughter again. She’d found that even an hour away from her daughter was painful; she didn’t want to lose anyone else, and not knowing what her daughter was up to worried her, despite knowing that Lucille was safe and taken care of.

Sonny suddenly began to pull frantically on the lead, forcing Rima to quicken her pace in order to keep up with him; he was a large dog, so trying to keep him under control was difficult. He’d never had any issues about it before, though, which was why Rima found his behaviour unusual.

“Slow down, boy!” she told him. “Are you excited to see her? Be patient!” But she then realized it wasn’t excitement; Sonny was whimpering, like something was wrong.

With this thought in mind, Rima stopped tugging back on the lead and jogged the rest of the way to the lab, barely even pausing for breath as she pressed the chime.

The door was answered by Nurse Chapel, but before the blonde could say anything Sonny pushed past her into the room, and Rima was forced to let go of the lead. Rima herself entered before sighing with relief when she saw her daughter, unharmed, sat on a bed with her PADD in her lap. The girl looked to the side when Sonny approached, and with a small smile she patted the dog’s head.

She then looked up to her mother and sent her the same smile. The first thought which crossed Rima’s mind was that Lucille was taking her being late a lot better that she expected. But then her instincts kicked in, and she noticed that her daughter’s smile appeared strained, and she didn’t even give Sonny a proper greeting; she just turned her attention back to her PADD.

Which raised another flag in the woman’s mind; Lucille hadn't brought her PADD with her that morning and wouldn’t have gone back to get it, even with someone escorting her. Upon closer examination Rima saw that it wasn’t just her PADD; the rest of her stuff was there too – her backpack, her suitcase, her stuffed rabbit sat on top – behind the bed.

“Lucille, why is your stuff here?” the mother asked.

The eight-year-old didn’t answer. Before Rima repeated herself, Dr. Korby entered the room to answer her question.

“It’s something I need to discuss with you, Mrs. Harewood.” He turned to Chapel. “Nurse, will you take those results to Admiral Barnett, please?”

The blonde nodded, before picking up and pile of PADDs and leaving.

“What is it you need to discuss with me, doctor?” asked Rima.

Korby sighed. “I really don’t want to do this, but it’s necessary for the safety of everyone here, including yourself. There was an incident earlier today. I was running some harmless tests on your daughter when she had an outburst. We’re not entirely sure what caused it, but we can guess that it’s the true nature of the blood trying to take over. We could barely restrain her, but she did eventually calm down. After that, I decided that maybe it would be best if she remained here in the lab, until I’ve figured out how to remove this emotional defect from her system.”

Rima just stared at him as his words processed in his head. She’d been looking forwards to seeing her daughter all day…only to be told that said daughter had to remain in a cold laboratory like an animal experiment from the 20th century, away from her. She understood that it would be for the safety of everyone else, but she still didn’t like it.

“But why can’t you just post extra security outside our room?” she asked.

“Considering how strong your daughter will become, that won’t help,” Korby replied. “And her dangerous abilities aren’t the only reason why I’ve made this decision. As you’re hopefully aware, Khan escaped last night. While he may not know of Lucille and her new abilities, we need to keep him from finding out, else he may try and use her as he used your husband. Currently the lab is the safest place for her to be.”

The woman bit her lip; she still didn’t like it, even though the explanation made sense. The thought of her daughter sleeping alone in the lab unsettled her, as it would any mother.

Then she had a thought. “Will I be able to stay? And the dog?” she asked. “I don’t want her here on her own. Remember that she’s only eight; she still needs her mother. And I need _her_.”

Korby appeared to consider it before nodding. “I understand. But please remember that some tests will have to be carried out without you here.” He turned back to his work. “Just go get your stuff and I’ll tell Nurse Chapel to set up another bed for you.”

Rima released the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding, before walking towards her daughter with a smile on her face. A touch on the girl’s shoulder caught her attention, and Lucille looked up.

“Did you hear that, honey?” said Rima. “I’ll be staying here with you. Dr. Korby is going to make you better, and I’ll be helping in every way I can.” Lucille turned away, and Rima instantly knew that something was wrong. “Honey, what is it? You know you can tell me anything, right?”

The eight-year-old looked up again, but not at her mother this time; she stared at the back of Korby, as if debating how to reply, before she finally said, “I know, Mummy.” Her voice was quiet and soft, instead of the cheery tone it usually was – meaning that something was most definitely wrong.

Wondering if it was about the incident from earlier, Rima began to walk over to Korby in order to ask him about it in private, but paused when a PADD on one of the table tops caught her attention. It showed some of the doctor’s notes, the date showing them to be from earlier that day; Rima curiously picked up the PADD to read.

“Full potential possibly activated by emotion – specifically fear and anger?”

Korby instantly turned and hurried over to her, snatching the PADD from her grasp.

“Apologies; that shouldn't have been left there,” he said. “These findings are classified. I’ll have to berate Chapel for leaving it there; she should know better.”

But Rima wasn’t listening, for what had been written triggered a warning flag in her mind. “You mentioned something like that before I left, saying it was only a theory. And you said there was an incident earlier, which caused her to lash out…and those notes said that it’s activated by either her fear or anger. So what was she afraid of today? Or was she angry at something?”

“She…” For a moment, Dr. Korby hesitated. “She had a flashback – to when those boys attacked her. It caused her to lose control.”

Sonny suddenly began to bark; the sound was deep, causing everyone to jump when he started. He placed himself in front of both Lucille and Rima, his attention fixed upon Korby as he bared his teeth. The red flag within Rima’s mind raised itself higher as she glanced warily at the doctor.

“And if that dog barks like this all the time, he’ll have to go,” said Korby. “At least train him not to bark randomly like that.”

“He’s far more trained than most dogs,” Rima explained. “We got him when our family was attacked, because of my husband’s job in Section 31. He’s trained to know who we can trust, and who we can’t; he can tell a lie as easily as the computers on board starships can. So, Dr. Korby, why did you lie to me?”

Korby just stared, at first uncertain how to answer. But then he replied, “I’m not lying to you. The dog must be mistaken.” Sonny growled at that.

Rima frowned and then turned to Lucille. “Honey, what _really_ happened today? Please don’t be afraid to tell me, no matter what Dr. Korby may have said.”

Lucille – who had been watching in silence the whole time – glanced at her mother, then at Korby, and then at her mother again. There was pain and desperation in her eyes; she wanted to speak, oh so much, but something was preventing her. She began to tremble, tears welling up in her eyes and she tried to decide what to do…

…and then she burst out crying.

Rima hurried back over and pulled her daughter to her chest. “Lucille, please, tell me. It’s all right…”

“…He hurt me, Mummy.”

Her words were so quiet, they could barely be heard – but not to the ears of a mother.

“How?”

“He pinched me, he tried to stun me, he set the room on fire… I got angry and smashed the window. He told me bad things would happen if I said anything…”

Bad things were going to happen, Rima decided, but not to either of them. She turned and sent Dr. Korby a deathly glare, which caused him to take a step back towards the door.

“I want to hurt you,” said Rima. “ _So much_. But I know that attacking you like that will only get me into trouble as well, so I’ll restrain myself. But I’ll be taking Lucille with me to Admiral Barnett, and he can decide your fate. Now get out of my way so we can leave.”

But instead, Korby took out a phaser from his pocket and aimed it at them, the setting on stun. Sonny leapt at him, barking louder than before, but Korby responded by pulling the trigger; the dog yelped before falling to the floor.

“I can’t let you leave,” he said. “What I’ve discovered can save mankind; it can do so many good things! But in order to discover the full potential I have to test every aspect of these abilities, and that includes what I put Lucille through today. I knew you wouldn’t understand; no one would understand what I have to do. And when I’ve discovered a way to get rid of the side effects, _everyone_ will be able to use the serum!”

The look in his eyes could only be described as madness; the potential of the blood had gotten to his head. Rima new she had to get her daughter away from this man, and _fast_.

Lucille suddenly leapt between them, and the movement caused Korby to fire from reflex. The setting of the stun was obviously not as powerful as it needed to be, for it only caused the girl to stumble, and the distraction gave Rima the chance to leap at the doctor as well. She was able to knock the phaser from his hand, but it soon became a struggle between them; they crashed into worktops, sending equipment everywhere. A quick glance in her daughter’s direction assured Rima that she was staying out of the fight; the stun blast had made her dizzy.

Rima found herself grabbing a pair of scissors from one of the worktops; her earlier decision not to harm Korby had gone out the window, for she knew there was no other choice if she and her daughter wanted to escape. But Korby grabbed them as well, causing further struggle, and the fight finally ended when Rima fell onto Korby after the pair tripped.

With the fall came an unbearable pain in her chest.

It took seconds for Rima to process that Korby had used the fall to stab her in the chest, and her world went black as she heard her beloved daughter screaming in terror. 


	8. Wrath of Khan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Khan and his followers break into Starfleet...

“This reminds me of the time when we attacked the great Taj Mahal,” said Victoria to Khan, as the trio of augments approached the building which held the medical research section of Starfleet. “We marched right in as if we owned the building.”

“When we left, we did,” said Khan, recalling the memory.

Victoria smirked. “I recall that you were almost captured by the armed guards, and I had to come to your rescue.”

Khan smiled in response, for it was one of his fondest memories. He supposed it was then, on that night, when he fell for the superior woman who strode beside him. She had fought thirty men that night, and killed every single one of them with her bare hands. He’d never been prouder to fight by her side.

But it was not the time to reminisce about the past, he reminded himself; they needed to free the rest of their crew so they could escape the planet and start anew elsewhere. Using the method of deduction, Khan and the siblings had been able to figure out where they were being held; Dr. Korby had been fascinated with him, Khan recalled, so it was very likely that he would continue his study of an augment’s biological make-up.

All they needed to do was find Korby and force him to release the others.

Washington was able to bypass the security and they slipped inside. Since Khan’s escape Starfleet had been on high alert, but the trio didn’t make an effort to keep to the shadows; whenever they came across an officer, one would strike out quickly and efficiently, leaving behind a body as they continued on their way without pause. They each took it in turns to take someone out, and Victoria even killed two officers at once.

The trio turned a corner when someone up ahead caught Khan’s attention, and he held out a hand to signal for the other two to pause just as he did. His eyes focussed on the young blond haired, blue eyed nurse at the other end of the hallway; she was drinking what appeared to be coffee, leaning against the wall after a hard day’s work, and hadn’t noticed them yet.

“I know that woman,” said Khan in a hushed tone. “She assisted Dr. Korby during the last few weeks when I was here. She will know where our family is.” He gestured to Victoria, who understood and approached the nurse as silently as she could.

Christine Chapel never saw it coming; she was grabbed from behind, a hand covering her mouth before she could scream, and she dropped her cup as she was dragged back into the shadows.

Khan placed himself before her so she knew who she was dealing with. “If you scream, Victoria will not hesitate to snap you neck. Understood?”

There was a pause as Christine took in several deep breaths, fear evident in her eyes. After considering her odds, she nodded, and Victoria removed her hand away from the woman’s mouth.

“I will ask you only once,” said Khan. He leaned in closer to make her uncomfortable. “Where. Is. My. Crew?”

Christine trembled, biting her lip to stop herself from sobbing. Victoria resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the woman’s actions.

“They’re…I’ll…I’ll show you where they are,” she said. “Just…don’t hurt me. Or Roger.”

“How about I just let you live?” Khan nodded to Victoria, who loosened her grip on the woman, allowing her to lead the way. With a deep breath, Christine began to walk towards the turbo-lifts.

\---

They arrived on the level which Khan recalled was the same one where Korby’s lab had been, and most likely still was. It made sense that this was where his crew were being kept. Christine led them down the surprisingly empty hallway before stopping outside a room and typing a code into a keypad. The door open, and they stepped inside.

The room was small, which made Khan realize that his crew couldn’t possibly be kept in such a tiny space; there were seventy of them. But then he saw the three beds in the centre of the room, and the three figures lying upon them.

“Cleo!” Washington exclaimed, before he hurried over to where the single woman lay motionless; the equipment next to the bed told him that Cleopatra Suzette Ling was still alive.

Khan chose not to berate his follower for the show of emotion in front of an inferior; Washington deserved to be reunited with his love, as Khan had been reunited with his. He approached the two others and saw who they were; the African, Muhammad Mufasa Rodnguez, and the Irishman, Caesar Otto Attikin.

“Where are the others?” Victoria questioned.

Christine didn’t answer; instead she averted her gaze to her feet.

Khan’s own gaze left his sleeping followers and fell upon the nurse; his glare was piercing, enough to make even the toughest of men tremble in fear. “She asked you a question, nurse. Where are the rest of them?”

Christine sobbed. “You’ll kill me if I told you.”

“I’ll kill you anyway, so you might as well tell us.” Khan could feel the anger beginning to boil within him, but with it came a sense of dread. If the woman was afraid to tell him, then it wasn’t good news.

There was a long pause before finally, Christine looked up and their eyes met.

“When you escaped, Roger knew you would come for them. I didn’t agree with him, and Starfleet wouldn’t have agreed with him, which is why he gave them a false report when they asked-”

Khan slapped her across the face. “WHERE ARE THEY?!”

“Roger disposed of them. They’re all dead.”

Everyone froze. Washington, who had been trying to revive Cleopatra, turned when he heard those words, while the eyes of Khan and Victoria widened. Neither knew how to respond to the bomb which had been dropped upon them, and Khan even began to tremble.

Their crew – their family – were gone. Killed in cold blood, just as their child had been.

When the shock wore off, the violence came; Victoria snapped the woman’s wrist in half, carelessly tossing her to the floor as she screamed in pain, before Khan made her scream louder by stamping on her leg, breaking it. The nurse whimpered in pain, barely acknowledging the look of absolute fury on the faces of the three augments.

“Korby will pay,” Khan spat. “Washington, awaken Cleopatra, Muhammad and Caesar and lead them back to the ship; only then explain to them what has transpired. Prepare the ship for take-off, and set a course for the planet we decided on.” He then turned to his lover, and saw the fire in her eyes which always came before the ruthless attacks he admired so much. “Victoria, come with me.”

She gave a cut nod before following him from the room. They didn’t have to walk far; Korby’s lab was only a few turns away, and while they didn’t meet anyone, it wouldn’t have made a difference if they had. No one would have stood a chance against two augments prepared to destroy the one who had taken their family from them.

“We could level the entire building,” Victoria suggested, just as they arrived outside the lab and her lover began to type in the code.

Khan took in a deep breath and released it again; he was tempted to accept her suggestion, but the last time he had allowed himself to get emotional, it had almost resulted in the death of his crew. He didn’t want anything else to happen to his remaining family. “Remember what I said; while we must strike out in kind, we cannot do anything which will risk our futures. The only reason I carried out such an attack last time was because I thought you were all dead; I had nothing to lose. Now at least there are a few of us. If we attacked all of Starfleet, we will never have the chance to live in peace. Kill only one, and they may forget about it. Marcus is dead; Korby will die. That is all that needs to be done.”

Victoria frowned. She’d have thought Khan would let loose at least some of his rage, which made her question if anything had changed since he had been awake and she asleep. The panel beeped in approval and the door opened, allowing the two inside. But what they found was not what they expected.

The room was a mess. Equipment had been thrown about, some of it even unnaturally bent and broken, and worktables had been overturned. The lights were hanging down from the ceiling, sparks flying from the broken wires. Computers and PADDs were smashed; the large screen had been shattered, and the chair lying underneath it suggested how that had happened. The only items which hadn’t been touched were a suitcase and a backpack stood in the far corner of the room.

Upon walking further, the two augments found a body lying motionless; it was a woman with a stab wound to her chest, her eyes open but not seeing. Khan realized that she looked familiar…

“Khan.” He turned to where Victoria was calling him, and approached when she gestured to do so. She pointed behind one of the upturned tables, and he leaned over it to see what she’d found.

It was Dr. Korby. But he was lying face down, his arms and legs broken and blood covering his white lab coat. The barely noticeable rise and fall of his stomach told the two that he was alive, but very much in pain. Khan wondered whether he should just leave him to suffer a painful death instead of ending it for him.

“Who could have done this?” asked Victoria. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“I have,” said her lover. “Once, back in our days at the facility; a group of scientists were performing tests on a child and they pushed him too far. His rage resulted in…well, this. I was in the next room and came running. This was what I found.”

Victoria suddenly pressed her finger to her lips, telling him to be quiet. When he obeyed and listened, he heard it too; sobbing. It was very quiet, but their enhanced hearing picked it up. Cautiously, the two approached the bed which had been turned on its side, where the whimpering was coming from. They exchanged glances before peering over the top.

They saw a small girl huddled behind it, trembling while she clutched a stuffed rabbit and the head of a rather dazed but large dog to her chest.

Khan’s eyes lit up in recognition. “I know her.”

“You _know_ her?” Victoria turned to him in surprise.

“It was her life I saved when I convinced the man from London to take out Section 31,” Khan explained. “She was his daughter; Lucille Harewood.” 

“You.” They turned back to her when she spoke; she’d only just noticed them. “You’re the bad man. You told my Daddy to kill all those people. You told him to kill himself. And now it’s because of you that I did _this_.”

Khan blinked, puzzled for the first time in his life. How could this one little girl be responsible for all this? “And how am I to blame?”

“Because it was your stupid serum which made me like this!” she yelled. “You may have saved my life, but my Daddy died because of it! And now I can do scary things; back in England I hurt these two boys, and then I tried to hurt Dr. Korby when he hurt me. And this time I _did_ hurt him when he killed my Mummy!” She looked down, crying. “Everything bad that happened was because of _you_. You should have just let me die and left my family alone.”

Khan looked around the room; this one girl had really done all this?

“I didn't think our blood could do that,” said Victoria. “I knew they said a blood transfusion would cure others, but…give them the same abilities as us?”

“I never knew, either.” Khan began to think. “And considering we were never informed it only leads to two possibilities; that either the doctors themselves did not know, or they did and never informed us. The former is unlikely as their minds were almost on the same level of intelligence as our own. _Almost_.”

Victoria raised an eyebrow. “So they just didn’t tell us?”

“Precisely,” said Khan. “As if they knew the project would eventually be disapproved of, so locked in the genetic code of our creation into our very blood, awaiting a transfusion so more of our kind will be created.”

“Why are you still here?” Both augments turned back to the girl, who was glaring at them. “Leave me alone! Before I call security; then you’ll be caught.”

But Khan shook his head. “You wouldn’t do that.”

“Why not?!”

“Because when they come, they’ll find this mess,” he explained. “And while they will assume it was me at first, procedures still have to be carried out. They will examine Korby and the mess you created, and find your fingerprints on everything; they will know it was you. And while you may be a child, this mess – this _savagery_ – cannot go ignored. You murdered Dr. Korby, they’ll assume you murdered your own mother, and for all they know you could have also injured Nurse Chapel as well. You’ll be labelled as dangerous; they’ll take you away and lock you up where you’ll never see the light of day again.”

Lucille bit her lip. “Captain Kirk won’t let them do that.”

“I doubt the Captain will be able to save you,” said Khan. “If I am correct in assuming he’s developed the same abilities as you, Starfleet won’t take chances. They’ll lock him up as well before his savagery gets out of control.”

“Then what do I do?” The girl’s expression was one of cautious curiosity.

“You have two ways to escape. On the one hand, I could kill you. You’ll die as an innocent child; a victim of my savage rage, and the fingerprints will be brushed off as you trying to defend yourself against me. But on the other hand,” He held out an open hand towards her, “you could come with us.”

The curiosity disappeared and the glare returned. “No. You still made my Daddy kill people.”

“What if I told you the reason why I did that?” Khan effortlessly pushed the bed aside, sending it into the wall with a crash. Lucille jumped while the dog raised his head suddenly. “I made your father do that because Starfleet took my family from me. I thought they were dead; killed by that Admiral Marcus in cold blood. And while they were spared, he _did_ kill one: _my unborn child!_ ”

The girl jumped from his sudden raise of voice, and Victoria placed a hand upon her lover’s shoulder to calm him. “Khan…”

It worked, and Khan was able to get his rage back under control. “So I responded in kind. I could have persuaded anyone to go in there with the bomb, but your father… He had a family who he was unable to help, and so did I. That was why I chose him, and why I decided to cure you. But now…now only a few members of my crew remain alive, all because of Korby.”

Once again, the glare faded from the girl’s face, but the curiosity didn’t return; instead her eyes softened into what could only be described as childish sympathy. Eventually she rose from the floor, her eyes never leaving Khan, and the dog followed her. Lucille crossed the short distance between them, no fear in her eyes; Khan liked that.

“You know I can’t just go with you,” she said.

Khan almost smiled; this girl was a smart one when it came to the morality of one’s actions. “I know.”

Lucille then turned and approached Victoria. “I’m sorry about your child.” When the woman sent her a surprised look, the girl added, “I overheard them saying about your escape, and that you were the one who lost the child.”

“And now we can have another.” Before Lucille registered who had spoken, Khan came up behind her and injected her with a needle. The girl only had time to gasp before her eyes rolled. She dropped the rabbit and fell backwards, Khan catching her.

“We can have another?” asked Victoria.

“Yes.” Khan picked the girl up, surprising even himself with how gentle he was. “Starfleet took our child from us. So now we will take a child from them.” He handed Lucille to Victoria.

Khan retrieved the suitcase and backpack he assumed belonged to the girl, along with the broken PADD he found next to it, and when he turned he saw his lover gently stroking the girl’s hair almost lovingly. He picked up the stuffed rabbit and handed it to her, smiling; they would have a family again, and would finally be able to live in peace.

Both made their way to the door but paused when they heard a whine, and turned their heads to find the dog plodding after them. They exchanged a glance before Victoria shrugged. “I always wanted a dog.” 


	9. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim and Carol talk, and the crew find out about Khan's attack.

Jim wasn’t sure what compelled him to visit Carol at two in the morning, but before he could question himself and his motives he was already half way to the weapons bay. He supposed that she wouldn’t be cranky about it; after all, she was already wide awake. Plus, she wasn’t Uhura.

The weapons bay was empty apart from the blonde sat next to one of the large phaser banks. She was staring at it intently, as if both looking for something and not looking for anything at all; it was hard to tell.

“If you hang around here often enough, you’ll be press-ganged into my crew.”

She turned quickly and rose from the floor. “Captain,” she said, her voice full of surprise. “I didn’t expect to see you here at this hour. Is there something wrong?”

Jim sent her a reassuring smile. “First off, call me ‘Jim’ when we’re off duty. And secondly, there’s nothing wrong. I shouldn’t need a reason to visit a soon-to-be-member of my crew. How’s your leg?”

“I highly doubt I’d be assigned to the _Enterprise_ , considering what happened. And my leg’s fine; it has been for a month,” said Carol. “How’s your…everything?”

He smirked. “I’m fine. Apart from randomly blurting out factoids I never even _remember_ learning, my new abilities appear to be under control. The only thing Dr. Korby warned me about was my strength; I have to be careful when I sleep with…you know, women.”

“Yes, I do know.” She turned away, looking back at the phaser bank.

Jim sighed; he knew by her reaction that he’d said something wrong. “My reputation, I know. But if you must know, I’ve been losing interest in sleeping with women in that way. Maybe it’s the blood; I don’t know.” He took a seat next to her. “Because if I was still interested in that kind of stuff, you’d already be in bed with me.” When she sent him a disapproving look, he mentally face-palmed. “No, no, I don’t mean… What I meant to say was… Ugh! My charm’s gone!”

Carol smirked. “Perhaps it’s for the best.”

“Very funny.” He sighed. “How can I get superior everything and receive…what, inferior pick-up lines?”

“Or you just met someone who you don’t want to treat in that way; someone who you belong with.”

Jim gave her a long look, thinking about what she’d said. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.” He sighed. “So, um…you were just staring at that phaser bank. Why?”

“Weapons have always intrigued me, Jim,” Carol explained. “But not in the violent way in which other people are fascinated with them. I just love to get inside them and see how they work; how a machine is capable of protecting the lives of some and taking the lives of others. Strange, isn’t it?”

The Captain shrugged. “Also ironic considering what you did before. I mean after. No, I mean what you could have done. At least I think that’s right?”

Carol gave him a confused look. “I’m sorry?”

“Oh, you know how there’s another universe out there; a parallel one? Remember that whole incident with the Romulans over a year ago?” Carol nodded. “Well, the other Spock told our Spock about what happened with Khan in that universe and he briefly mentioned you. He said you were working on a project called ‘Genesis’; it created life on uninhabited planets. Funny how there you were creating life, and here you study machines which destroy it.”

“I suppose a lot of things changed when the universes split,” said Carol.

“Not everything.” Jim didn’t say anymore; it still disturbed him that, in that other universe, it had been Spock who gave his life in order to save the _Enterprise_ and her crew. Yes, he may have been revived – a little later than Jim himself – but the thought of him dying still sent chills up Jim’s spine, which gave him a pretty good idea of what Spock had felt, watching him die… The more things changed, the more things stayed the same, he supposed. Well, sort of.

Carol shrugged in agreement at Jim’s words. “Did he say anything else about me?”

“No, he was being stubborn in his vow not to tell us anything that could alter our destinies,” said Jim. “He did say that you defended Starfleet quite passionately, meaning that your, um…father didn’t become a maniac in that universe.” Carol looked away at that. “And he seemed to imply that you and I knew each other really well. Not sure what he meant by that, but…”

“I was probably one of many women you slept with.” Jim was about to protest against her comment, but when he saw her smirking, he only smirked back, taking it as the joke it was meant to be. “Or I could have been your wife. Or if not that, I could have mothered a love child with you.”

Jim laughed. “I doubt it. The old Spock would have at least mentioned _that_.”

Carol opened her mouth to say more, but paused when Jim held up a finger. He could hear footsteps hurrying in their direction, and they both rose from the floor as Spock ran in with Uhura not far behind.

“Captain, Khan has attacked the medical research sector of Starfleet. Many are dead already.”

The cord – that cord whenever someone died – was struck within Jim, and he immediately ran out the room. The others followed. “Spock, with me; we’re beaming down. You too, Dr. Marcus; I could use your input.”

“I request permission to come as well,” asked Uhura.

Jim shrugged as he ran. “You’re welcome to, but Spock can veto your addition if he feels compelled to do so.”

“Nyota, are you certain you want to risk this?” asked the Vulcan.

The Communications Officer sent him a glare – one he knew to avoid at all costs. “Spock, I may be pregnant, but that doesn’t make me helpless. Besides, I’m only a month along; I’m not even showing. It’ll be fine.”

They arrived in the transporter room, where they were provided with phasers. Scotty was sat at the controls, prepared to beam them down, while McCoy was already waiting for them.

“Scotty, you’re in charge,” said Kirk, before the five figures disappeared.

\---

When the five officers arrived on the ground, they found themselves in the middle of the chaos. Security was attempting to secure the area, searching every building and every section in order to find Khan and his followers, while medical officers were assisting those who had been hurt and taking away the bodies of those who had died.

“Logically Khan would attack Dr. Korby, as he is only one here who knows the location of his crew,” said Spock.

“But if he went to him, that means Christine would have been in danger, too,” Carol realized.

Jim hurried inside, the others following. They ran along the hallways of the building, and had to look away when they passed the yet-to-be-moved bodies of those who had fallen. In his mind, Jim hoped that Lucille and her mother were OK; he knew they would have gone back to their room by this time, but what if they had stayed? What if Korby had needed to test something, requiring them both to stay overnight? The life of that child had already been ruined by Khan; Jim didn’t want it being ruined any further.

After a tense ride in the turbo-lift, the five hurried out and ran towards Dr. Korby’s lab, but a cry for help made them pause. Jim signalled for his crew members to remain silent as they listened carefully. “That sounds like Christine,” said Carol. “But it’s not coming from the lab. It’s coming from…”

Jim suddenly took off. Upon remembering the Captain’s enhanced hearing and realizing that he’d figured out where she was, the other four ran after him. They came across an open door leading to another lab with three empty beds, and lying on the floor was an injured Christine.

“Christine!” Carol was instantly by her friend’s side, and McCoy joined her. It wasn’t long before a security squad arrived on the scene as well, along with some other doctors.

“Her wrist has been completely snapped in half,” McCoy realized. “And her leg is broken. She has bruises, too.”

Jim knelt next to his friend and looked Christine in the eye. “Was it Khan?” When the woman nodded, sobbing, Jim laid a comforting hand upon her shoulder. “Where did he go?”

“R-Roger,” was all she said, but it was enough. Jim leapt to his feet and took off once more, this time heading towards Dr. Korby’s lab. Spock and Uhura followed, and after assurance that Christine was receiving help, McCoy ran after them. Carol opted to stay and comfort her friend.

When the four arrived outside the lab they found the door open, and upon entering they found the inside a mess. It really wasn’t a question as to what had happened here.

The first shock was finding Rima on the floor. Uhura gasped when she spotted her, and McCoy instantly knelt beside the mother to check her vitals. “She’s dead, Jim,” he said sadly. “Impaled by a pair of scissors.” He put on a glove and took said scissors out of the body.

Uhura had moved away from the body in order to calm herself, but gasped again when she looked behind an upturned worktop and found another body. “Oh, God!”

Spock hurried over to her, placing comforting hands upon her shoulders as he looked, as well. “Captain, it is Dr. Korby. I cannot tell if he is alive or not.”

McCoy got back on his feet and approached, but couldn’t reach the body because of the worktop. “Dammit, Jim! Give me a hand with this thing!” he yelled, while attempting to move it himself.

Jim just calmly walked over to it and picked it up without effort, before carefully setting it down behind him. McCoy just rolled his eyes, not even bothering to make a comment, and then knelt down next to the doctor. “He’s alive, but barely. He appears to have broken every bone in his body.”

“But where’s Lucille?” Jim began to frantically look for her.

“Perhaps she was not here,” said Spock.

“She was! I can smell her! And Rima was here, so she had to have been!” Jim practically yanked an upturned bed aside, getting more desperate to find the innocent little girl.

Uhura gave him a confused look. “Wait, you can _smell_ her?”

“And the scent’s strong, so it wasn’t very long ago.” He paused to think, and then he began sniffing again. “The dog was here, too, but not killed. And so was Khan. And a woman; his follower.”

“The fact that they were all here in this room and that Lucille’s body is not leads to only one conclusion,” said Spock. “Khan has kidnapped Lucille Harewood.”

\---

After meeting up with Carol again the crew of the _Enterprise_ made their way back outside, where they were met with a worried looking Admiral Barnett. “Kirk, tell me you have good news.”

“Some good news, anyway,” said Kirk. “Dr. Korby and Nurse Chapel are alive; injured, but alive. On the other hand Rima Harewood has been killed, most likely by Khan, and we think he also kidnapped Lucille. The dog’s missing, but we’re not sure whether he was taken too or is just running loose somewhere.”

Barnett looked genuinely upset. “Poor girl; first her father, and now this.”

“We suggest that extra security be placed around Khan’s crew in case he attempts to liberate them,” said Spock.

“The only problem there is that Korby never told me where the crew was being kept for security reasons,” said the Admiral.

“And Khan has at least three other members of his crew with him; the room where we found Christine was being used by Dr. Korby to study them. She told me so herself,” said Carol. “Meaning he’s gained an advantage.”

A security officer hurried over. “Admiral, we’ve detected a ship leaving the city and heading into the atmosphere.”

“Life signs?”

“Four men, two women, a girl and a dog, sir.”

“Khan and one of the escaped augments are two men, with the other escapee being one woman…” said Kirk.

“And the three who Korby were studying were two men and one woman,” Carol added. “Making four men and two women.”

“So logically the girl would be Lucille and the dog-”

Spock was interrupted by Kirk. “That’s them! We need to go after the ship!”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to shoot them down?” asked the officer.

The Admiral sent him an ‘are you serious?’ look. “There’s an innocent child aboard that ship! The hell we're not!”

“But we can’t follow them, sir,” said the officer.

Jim’s eyes lit up. “But we can track them and follow them later.” He opened up his communicator. “Scotty, it’s Kirk! Come in!”

“ _I’m here, Cap’n!_ ” came Scotty's voice. “ _Where’s the fire?!_ ”

Kirk didn't bother rolling his eyes. “Scotty, there’s a warp-capable ship leaving the atmosphere, probably right about now. Can you find it on your scanners?”

“ _I’ve got it! Do you want me to fire at it, Cap’n?_ ”

“No! No! Don’t fire! I need you to scan its warp signature when it leaves; we need to know where it’s heading!”

“ _That’s dead easy, Cap’n! Hold on, she appears to be leaving now… Yep, she’s gone. Scanning now._ ” It didn’t even take a minute. “ _Well, that’s a weird place to be heading to._ ”

“Where?” asked Kirk.

“ _The Ceti Alpha system,_ ” said Scotty. “ _Ceti Alpha V, to be exact. But that’s barely a Class M planet, Cap’n. It’s habitable, but a savage place, very inhospitable if you ask me. Why would anyone go there? No one could survive it!_ ”

Jim and Spock exchanged glances. “ _He_ could,” said the latter.

The former nodded. “As could his crew.” 


	10. Lucille Meets the Augments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucille wakes up and meets Khan's crew.

When Lucille regained consciousness she at first felt the vibrations which suggested she was travelling on a ship – at warp, she deducted, although how she knew this was beyond her – before her eyes opened to confirm it. There was no window, but the size of the room and the style told her no alternative.

She recalled what had happened in the lab, leading her to conclude that Khan had decided to kidnap her without much choice from her. The girl didn’t know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. On the one had he was still the man who had taken her father from her, no matter his reasons, and going with him willingly made no sense to her. On the other hand, at least she was away from Dr. Korby, especially after what he had done to her mother…

Tears formed in her eyes, which she blinked away, but she surprised herself by not breaking down completely. She supposed it could be the blood… When she felt the rage beginning to burn, she concluded that it _was_ , and took in several deep breaths in order to calm herself. Getting angry wouldn’t help matters; the worst she could inflict was mess up her room a bit, for she knew that Khan and his mysterious crew were like her, and would not be affected by her attacks.

Suddenly the bed she was laying in dipped, and Lucille turned to see that Sonny had leapt up onto said bed with her, like he always used to do before she became ill. The girl smiled and stroked the top of his head; at least she had a familiar face with her.

Refusing to stay cooped up in her room, Lucille climbed out of the bed and walked over to the door, her dog following. It didn’t open straight away; it was locked, so Lucille tried the pad next to it. She sighed when it said a code was required.

She tried three combinations. All of them were rejected. “What’s the point of having super intelligence if I can’t figure out a password?” she said aloud. Since the pad couldn’t accept any more attempts, she chose to punch it instead, sending sparks flying. The door still refused to open.

With a roll of her eyes, Lucille grabbed the door and yanked it open; it took all her strength, but she at least got it a little way open, enough for her and Sonny to slip through.

Unfortunately she realized her attempts to get out had been detected, for the moment she stepped out she turned and saw a man walking towards her. He was short, but built like a fridge, with blue eyes and hair which appeared to be a mix of sandy blonde and light brown. He quickened his strides, and Lucille turned to run.

She barely got five steps before he caught her, grabbing her arm and making sure she couldn’t injure herself. Lucille kicked at him. “Let go!” Sonny barked loudly, but didn’t leap.

More footsteps approached before a woman appeared, and Lucille recognized her as the same woman who had been with Khan. “Wash, let her go.”

“But she’s-”

“I said let her go.”

The man regarded her for a few moments before he did as ordered. Lucille shoved him away, but knew better than to run; the ship, for all she knew, could have been filled with men like him, who may not be so kind.

“Why am I here?” the girl demanded.

The woman sent her a reassuring smile. “Because there was nothing left for you on Earth with all those inferiors. You didn’t have a choice but to leave with us.”

“That’s because you didn’t _give_ me a choice.” Lucille’s arms crossed over her chest.

“We’re only doing what’s best for you,” said the woman. “You’re one of us now; you killed a man back on Earth, and you parents are dead. If we let you go back, what would happen to you?”

Lucille knew she had a point there. It was like Khan had said before; it wouldn’t take investigators long to figure out that she had been responsible for Korby’s demise, and with no other witness to back up her word that he had killed her mother, things would not end well. She would be locked up like some animal they couldn’t control. There was also the risk of Captain Kirk being locked up as well out of fear that he would end up doing the same.

Her still undeveloped and yet intellectual mind came to the conclusion that while she didn’t like it, remaining with the augments was the best thing for everyone.

The woman seemed to take her silence as a sign that Lucille understood, for she approached and placed a gentle hand upon her shoulder. “My name is Victoria Kati Ahart. And that wall of meat is my half-brother, Washington Joaquin Wess.”

“Wall of meat?” the man questioned. “If it wasn’t for me, we wouldn’t have lived this long in our cryo-tubes. _And_ we wouldn’t even be on this ship. If anyone here is a wall of meat, it’s Caesar.”

Victoria only rolled her eyes. “Come on, little one. I’ll introduce you to the rest of the crew.” She held out her hand, expecting her to take it.

But Lucille just gave her a long look before walking past her without a word, Sonny following without fuss. Her hearing picked up Washington saying to his half-sister, “Just give her more time,” before the two caught up in a few short strides.

The girl couldn’t keep silent for long. “Are all of you named after Earth’s great leaders?” she asked. She had already picked up on the name Khan’, and the names of the siblings confirmed what she had suspected, along with mention of a ‘Caesar’.

“Yes,” said Victoria with a smile. “A very good observation. I was simply known as Kati Ahart when I was a child; we all had simple names back then. But when we realized our superiority, we decided that we would need superior names as well. Khan and I were going to name our…daughter ‘Elizabeth’, after the great Queen Elizabeth who successfully opposed us during our reign.”

“There was also a Queen Elizabeth who ruled Britain in their Golden Age,” said Lucille. She then blinked in surprise. “I don’t know how I knew that. I think I heard it mentioned somewhere.”

“Your memory gets better as well,” said Victoria. “And yes, we knew about the first Elizabeth; that’s why we chose the name, for she would have been named after two great leaders.” She then looked down sadly.

Washington placed a hand upon her shoulder. “We’re starting anew, Vic.” He then turned to Lucille. “And since we are, maybe you should consider picking a name for yourself.”

Lucille wasn’t sure about that; her name had been the name of her father’s mother. Replacing it with another – or rather leaving it as only a middle name, as the others appeared to have done – felt wrong, especially after losing him.

They arrived on the bridge of the ship. It was small, meaning that the ship itself was small, and there were very few people operating; two men and a woman. They looked in her direction, more curious than surprised, but a warning look from Victoria had them turning back to their jobs. Washington walked over to the woman and greeted her with a kiss.

“Are they the only ones?” asked Lucille.

The expression which crossed Victoria’s face was one of sorrow and anger, but she concealed it quickly. “Yes. As you were told before, Korby killed the rest. Sixty-seven people, dead. I knew each of their names, what they were like… They were family.”

Washington saw how distressed his sister looked, so walked back over to her with the woman he had greeted. “You want to introduce everyone? Or can I have the pleasure of the first?”

It cheered her up, for Victoria smiled with both humour and gratitude. “Go ahead, Wash.”

“This,” said Washington, gesturing to the woman, “is Cleopatra Suzette Ling. When it comes to any form of science – any at all – then she’s our expert.”

Cleopatra gave him a friendly punch. “You’re too kind.”

“You deserve my praise,” said Washington. “As much praise as a ship’s engine needs the power of dilithium.”

“OK, let’s move you along before those two gross you out with their geeky turn-ons.” Victoria gently led Lucille away towards the two men.

Behind her Washington heckled, “Like you and Khan don’t gross _us_ out!” Victoria only rolled her eyes.

She and Lucille paused next to an African man, who was sat at the helm. “This is Muhammad Mufasa Rodnguez; he was the best pilot in the world back in the 20th century.”

“This ship is nothing like the ones back in my day,” he said. “But she purrs like a tiger ready to pounce.”

Victoria raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been waiting _years_ to say that, haven’t you, Ham?” His laugh was enough of an answer for her. She only smiled before turning to the other, larger man, who was silently looking over the controls. Washington was nothing compared to this guy. “And this is Caesar Otto Attikin. He doesn’t speak much, so don’t try talking to him unless he says something to you. And don’t try to push past him, either; you’ll just bounce back. Isn’t that right, C?”

Caesar only looked up to give a nod of acknowledgement before getting back to his work.

Lucille looked at each of the augments again – Victoria, Washington, Cleopatra, Muhammad and Caesar – more carefully, rather surprised by her introduction to them all. They all seemed like…nice, normal people. In the company of only themselves, they didn’t even _look_ like super-humans who had once taken over most of the world; they laughed with each other, made jokes, and basically functioned like a family unit. It made Lucille wonder if Khan was the same.

Which made her realize… Where _was_ Khan?

As if the universe had heard her question, it answered by presenting her with the man himself; he entered the bridge and immediately asked, “Status update.”

“The ship is not going as fast as a Starship – at Warp 2 or 3, I think, whatever that means – but it’s as fast as she can go,” replied Muhammad.

“That’s because the small warp-core can only take that speed,” said Washington. “I estimate we’ll arrive at our destination in about two or three days. Give or take.”

Khan nodded. “Very good.” Only then did he turn and notice Lucille standing there. Her hand subconsciously grabbed Sonny’s collar for comfort, for she was unsure what his reaction would be.

Victoria appeared to pick up on her uncertainty for she stepped forwards. “I thought she should meet the rest of the crew. Get to know the family.”

Khan glanced at Victoria before he returned his attention to Lucille. “Yes.” And then he turned away, looking over the controls of the ship.

Lucille let out a subtle sigh of relief. Victoria, on the other hand, just stared. “That’s it? You’re not going to say anything to her? Ask her if she’s OK after you stuck a needle in her arm? And it was your idea to accept her in the first place!”

“It’s alright,” Lucille tried to tell the woman.

But Victoria wasn’t listening; her attention was still on Khan. “You said so yourself, Khan; she belongs with us. At least make her feel welcome!”

“I would rather give myself some time before I do,” he said in return. “You may be ready to be a mother for the first child you find, but my feelings are not so fragile.”

The expression that crossed Victoria’s face was one of both shock and hurt. Washington looked the same, but didn’t dare to make a move to comfort his sister, while the other three just stared. They all knew it wasn’t a good idea to speak out against Khan.

Lucille, however, didn’t know this.

“That’s a mean thing to say!”

Khan paused before he turned slowly to face the little girl. “What?”

She swallowed, trying not to let her fear show, for she knew this was the right thing to do. “That’s not something you say to people, especially to family. It doesn’t matter whether she’s ready or whether you’re not; she’s obviously still really sad about losing her baby, and you should be too. After what you told me in the lab, I thought maybe you were OK under that badness – but you’re just…mean, mean, mean all over!”

She turned on her heel and stormed off the bridge, Sonny trotting after her.

\---

The entire bridge was quiet once Lucille was gone – for a few moments, at least.

“Khan, I could strangle you,” Victoria snapped.

“All that would achieve is turning me on.”

Washington almost laughed, but glares from both his sister and his lover stopped him in time.

“You're unbelievable. Un- _flipping_ -believable!” Victoria gave Khan a shove, causing him to stumble backwards.

Washington, ever the heckler, spoke out. “Uh oh. They’re having a domestic. Everyone clear the room.”

While Cleopatra sent him another glare, Victoria did not. She was still staring at Khan, waiting for him to respond. When he didn’t she gave an angry, “UHG!” before storming off the bridge, very much in the same manner Lucille had done.

Only when she was gone did Khan hurry after her. “Victoria, wait!” He only caught up with her just as she was entering her room, but the door shut and she locked it before he could follow her further. He thought about forcing it open, but he knew that would just make her angrier than she already was. “Victoria!”

“Go throw yourself out the airlock!”

He rolled his eyes at her comment, but still understood that she was upset; he leaned against the wall, eyes closed, and sighed. He would usually brush off her behaviour as having one of her moods, but this time was different and he knew it.

“Vic, I need to tell you something,” he said. “Something I never mentioned before, because I was uncertain how you would react.”

“And you’re telling me this now while I’m angry at you?”

“I suppose I should get it all out of the way in one go.” He shrugged. “Marcus not only hired Dr. Korby to study me; he also hired a historian named Marla McGivers. Young thing; all wide-eyed, thinking men can change by showing him good. She developed an attachment to me, so to speak.”

He waited for her to respond. “I can see why you would be uncertain about my reaction,” she said finally.

“The attachment wasn’t mutual,” Khan assured her. “I noticed this attachment and decided to use it; she agreed to help me with the torpedoes so we could smuggle you and the rest of the crew to safety. When the plan was discovered, Marcus thought she had only been acting alone. I didn’t speak up, and she was killed. I was discovered not long after.”

He waited again for Victoria to speak. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because while I did not show it at the time, her death…affected me more than it should have,” he explained. “I fear that my emotions are clouding my superior judgement. The one rule I gave myself and gave to all of you was to not allow your emotions to get the better of you; to not let them control your aggression. I am ashamed to have broken that rule. It was my desperation to have you all back with me which tripped me up; when I asked that Vulcan for the torpedoes, I never once thought that they could be used against me. I almost lost you all. And then when I discovered that we had lost Elizabeth… Keeping my emotions in check at all times, like that Vulcan does, seemed to be my only option.”

The door opened and there she was, no longer angry at him and her eyes almost filled with tears. “So you care?”

“I have always cared, and that will never change,” said Khan. “I suppose what you meant to say was ‘are my feelings as fragile as yours?’ Yes. They are. And while I may still be grieving the loss of our child and of the rest of the crew, I realize now that I am ready to step in for the child among us.”

Victoria smiled before placing her hands upon either side of Khan’s face and pressing her lips slowly onto his.

A slight noise caught both their attentions, and they turned to find Lucille at the end of the hallway, watching them. She gasped and ran. They watched the empty space for a moment before turning back to each other. “You want to talk to her now?” asked Victoria.

“I’ll give her time,” he said. “After all, it’s been a while since _we’ve_ had some time for…certain things.”

His lover gave him a mischievous smirk. 


	11. Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew of the Enterprise leave to track down Khan.

Roger Korby lay motionless in the bed at Starfleet’s hospital, hooked up to the life support systems and still showing signs of life. Nurse Chapel was by his side, her hand gripping his.

Jim, Spock, Uhura and Carol waited outside the room, watching through the window as McCoy checked the man’s vitals one last time before leaving. He sighed once he was with his friends. “Christine was an easy fix; I can mend bones in the space of a half hour.”

“That’s why I call you ‘Bones’,” said Kirk. “What about Korby?”

“His bones weren’t just broken; some of them had been reduced to dust,” said McCoy. “Khan obviously wasn’t very happy with him. And it’s not just his bones; his lungs are punctured, muscles ripped, brain damaged and his liver twisted. It’s a wonder he stayed alive for so long.”

“Christine said her Roger was a fighter,” said Carol. “If anyone can survive, he could.”

Jim turned suddenly, and the others did the same to see Admiral Barnett approaching. “That hearing thing is starting to freak me out,” said McCoy.

“More than the smell?” asked Kirk.

They didn’t say anymore when the Admiral stopped before them. “What’s his condition, doctor?” he asked.

“Let’s just say he won’t be up and walking for months.” McCoy handed the Admiral the PADD he held. “This is the full report.”

Barnett gave it a quick scan before he tucked it under his arm. “The matters here will be handled by our best men. Our greatest men, however, will be going after Khan. And before you ask who, I’m talking about you and your crew, Kirk.”

Jim blinked, surprised. He was genuinely flattered for him and his crew to be referred to as Starfleet’s ‘greatest men’. “We’ll do our very best to bring Lucille home safely. Oh, and her dog.”

“You said they were heading towards the Ceti Alpha system?”

“Ceti Alpha V to be precise,” said Spock. “Mr. Scott is very accurate in his work. And even if he were not, Ceti Alpha V is the only planet in the system which can support life, even if barely.”

“Why would he go to such a place, anyway?” asked McCoy.

“Logically it would be ideal for himself and his people, due to their superhuman abilities and determination to survive,” Spock explained. “And on such a place he would be exiled and out of the way, meaning that had he not taken Lucille Harewood we would be content to just leave him alone.”

“When you get Lucille back, you can let him go there,” agreed Barnett. “That’ll be one problem taken care of.”

“I still don’t quite understand why Khan even took Lucille in the first place,” said Carol.

“Revenge.” Uhura shrugged. “And with her new abilities he could consider her to be one of his own.”

McCoy nodded in agreement, deep in thought. “Plus, with losing his kid, he’s looking to fill the nest, so to speak. Coming from a father’s point of view, taking her actually makes a lot of sense. What _doesn’t_ make sense to me, though, is why he’d leave behind the rest of his crew?”

“Did he not leave them behind before?” questioned Barnett.

“He did, but reluctantly,” said Jim. “And taking into consideration what happened last time, I’m surprised he was willing to do so again. Have you been able to locate the rest of them?”

“No, and we won’t be able to until Dr. Korby wakes up, I’m afraid.” The Admiral turned briefly to look through the glass, watching as Nurse Chapel removed a stray hair from the injured doctor’s face. “We were able to track down the officers who were in charge of guarding them; they were found dead in their rooms.”

The eyes of the crew widened. “Dead?!” McCoy blurted out.

“Suicide pills,” said the Admiral. “But I knew those men, and I know for a fact that they would _never_ have contemplated suicide. We think it may have been forced.”

“By Khan’s crew? The ones who were awake, I mean?” asked Uhura.

Spock shook his head. “No, otherwise they would have forced the officers to give them the information regarding the whereabouts of the remaining crew. Perhaps another party has discovered the existence of the augments and have taken an interest?”

“Like I said, matters here will be handled,” the Admiral reminded them. “You have your mission.”

“I guarantee that Lucille will be brought home safely, Admiral,” said Jim.

“I hope so. Thomas Harewood was an old friend of mine; because of our positions we never made that connection known. I did my best to help his wife and daughter, and all I want is to see her home safe and sound.” He handed Jim another PADD. “Here’s the list of new transfers. Spologies for it taking so long.”

“Thanks.” Kirk took it with a smile…and then without even glancing at it immediately handed it to Spock, who began to scan through it. “Anyone on there who my attention should be drawn to?”

“Just one,” said the Admiral.

Before Jim could ask who, Spock handed the PADD back to him, having highlighted a name. “Captain, you should see this.”

Jim looked…and saw that Carol had been placed on the list as the new Chief Weapons Specialist. He smirked; it was just like he’d planned. Now all he had to do was play it cool. He handed the list back to Spock, the smirk still on his face.

“OK, I need everyone to report to their assigned shuttles, and help out wherever you can before take-off,” said the Captain. Spock, Uhura and McCoy left, while Carol watched them go sadly. Jim tried to hide his smirk the best he could when he turned to her and said, “Did you not hear me, Marcus?”

“But I’m not a member of your crew.”

Jim gave her his best look of honesty. “Didn’t you read the transfers list? You’re my new Chief Weapons Specialist.” He winked before he turned and walked away.

\---

Carol only stared as the Captain walked away, unable to believe the words that had just come out of his mouth. _His new Chief Weapons Specialist? Really?_ After what had happened, after what her father had done to them all, she couldn’t have imagined it to be possible. Sure, Jim had been nice to her, and he’d certainly joked about getting her into the crew, but she’d assumed he wouldn’t want her.

But she had to make sure, in case he was pulling some kind of cruel joke on her. “Admiral, is what he just said-?”

“True? Yes.” He smiled. “There was more than enough evidence to tell us that you were not in league with your father. Your presence on the _Enterprise_ in fact _helped_ resolve the problem, despite how you got on board in the first place. And Kirk refused to take any other Weapons Specialist.”

Carol turned to where she could still see the Captain’s retreating form. After everything that had happened… She couldn’t help it. The blonde ran up to him and leapt onto his back, hugging him from behind. “Thank you, Jim!” Then she noticed Spock, Uhura and McCoy staring at her, so she quickly jumped down and pulled away, her face flushing. “Uh…apologies, Captain.”

“No problem, Carol,” said Jim, smiling. “Wouldn’t have anyone else.” He went to carry on walking, but after a second thought, turned to her again. “Oh, and feel free to jump on my back to hug me from behind anytime.” He kissed the top of her head, winked again, before he walked away with the other three.

Carol blushed as she touched the spot where he’d kissed her. She tucked a stray hair behind her ear before hurrying to catch up with her new crew mates.

\---

Jim made his way through the crowd of crew members waiting to board their shuttles, signing any PADDs given to him as he checked over the last of the supplies and assisted in various other jobs. He was in the middle of signing his last when he spotted Sulu passing. “Sulu!”

“Captain,” Sulu greeted him. “Everything appears to be in order. Why don’t I join you to the shuttle?”

“No need to even ask,” said Kirk. “But first, where’s Chekov?”

Sulu smirked and nodded off to the side. “He’s flirting with the new Yeoman. I think her name’s Martha Landon.”

Kirk turned to look and smirked when he saw the young Ensign flirting with a blonde girl who appeared to be of similar age. “Hey, go Chekov! Nice catch, as well.” He turned back to Sulu. “All we need to do now is get _you_ a girlfriend.”

“I think I’m fine for the moment, Captain,” said Sulu. “I’ll find someone in my own time.”

“Where’s the harm in letting your Captain set you up with someone?” Jim said back, smirking. “Hey, who was that girl you were dancing with at the Christmas party? She was a psychiatrist, or something like that…” He clicked his fingers, trying to remember the name.

“You mean Helen?”

“Helen Noel! Yes! Why don’t I set you two up on a date when you’re both off duty?”

“Captain, you really don’t need to-”

“Of course I do!” He turned and ran towards their shuttle. “Mr. Spock! What shift does Helen Noel have?”

“Captain!” And Sulu hurried after him.

\---

“And I saved their lives! The Keptin called me wery brave.”

Martha smiled. “It sounded like you were. I have to say, your accent is _adorable_. Russian, right?”

“Yes! Where they have the Garden of Eden, right outside Moscow!”

She laughed. “You’re so funny, and sweet. No one’s ever paid this much attention to me before. I’m the kind of girl who usually ends up in a corner.”

“I end up in the corner, too!”

They continued talking, but had they been paying closer attention to the supplies they were counting, they would have noticed a small movement towards the back. And they certainly would have noticed a small girl open the lid of one of the crates before climbing inside and shutting it up again.

\---

“Spock, you need to listen to me!”

“Are you two gonna do this, like, now?” Spock and Uhura turned to Jim, who was approaching the bickering couple with Carol at his side. “We left Earth five minutes ago, and already you two are having one of your fights. I thought that stopped a month ago?”

Uhura sighed. “We’re not fighting, Captain.”

“Clearly.”

She rolled her eyes. “I was discussing the new arrangements that had been made for us when he just…broke down!” She gestured to Spock, who looked less like his usual stoic self and more like a worried father about to have a panic attack.

Jim sighed. “Spock, what is it?”

“I have already informed you briefly, Captain.”

“Is this the whole ‘I won’t make a good father’ crap again? Because I’m pretty sure I told you my thoughts on that.”

“Your thoughts?” Carol questioned.

“Yeah, that it’s a load of bullshit. You’ll be a good dad, Spock.”

Meanwhile Uhura looked between her Captain and her bondmate with a confused expression upon her face; this was all news to her. “Wait, Spock, why didn’t you tell me about this?”

“Because I did not want to allow my insecurities to place further worry upon you,” he explained. “Nyota, my father may have loved both myself and my mother, but our relationship still remained strained throughout my childhood because of the very fact that he is Vulcan. I am worried that our child will experience the same.”

She sent him a reassuring smile and placed a hand upon his cheek. “But remember that you’re half-human, Spock. You’ll do fine.”

Chekov approached, but paused when he saw Spock and Uhura together. “Am I…interrupting something…?”

“No, you’re fine,” said Kirk. “What is it, Chekov?”

“Ve are travelling at maximum varp, Keptin. Ve should arrive in-”

He was interrupted by a sudden scream.

“What was that?” asked Carol.

“Martha!” Chekov suddenly took off at a run, and the other four followed him into the supply hanger where they found Martha leaning against an open crate, her eyes wide with her hand on her heart. She looked petrified. “Martha, are you all right?” asked the young Ensign, placing a hand upon her cheek in order to calm her down.

“There was a girl in the crate!” said Martha.

“What?” Jim didn’t know if he’d heard her correctly.

“A little girl,” the Yeoman repeated. “She was about this high,” She placed a hand against her side to show the height, “had brown hair and blue eyes, and she looked scared. She leapt out and ran off, but I don’t know where she went. And I’m not sure if she’s hurt herself or not.”

Jim's comm beeped, and he picked it up. “Kirk, here.”

“ _Cap’n! I just saw a wee lass run through engineering! Please tell me I’m seeing things!_ ”

“You’re not, Scotty. Stay where you are; we’re on our way!” Jim closed the link and gestured to the others to follow him. “All of you with me, we’ve gotta find this girl before she hurts herself, if she hasn’t already.” He opened up his comm again. “Bones, you there?”

“ _Yeah, what is it, Jim?_ ”

“We’ve got a kid down here, somewhere in engineering.”

“ _A kid?! You’ve gotta be kidding me! How the hell did a kid end up on the ship?!_ ”

“She stowed away in one of the supply crates,” said Jim. “We think she may have hurt herself, but if she hasn’t, then she may do so. I need you down here.”

“ _I’m on my way._ ”

The group continued running until they reached engineering, where Scotty was waiting. “Do you any idea how dangerous it is down here for a wee lassie?! If she touches something she shouldn’t, she’s done for!”

“That’s why we need to find her,” said Jim. “Where’d she go?”

“I’m not sure; she ran so fast! _Get down_!” The group of six turned to see who Scotty had gestured to, but only turned away again when they saw it was Keenser, who had sat himself up on one of the pipes.

“Who is this girl, anyway?” Carol wondered aloud. “Do you think she belongs to a member of the crew?”

“Any crew member who has a child has registered them as living with relatives. A possible conclusion would be that the child did not agree with the arrangement and wanted to be with their absent parent,” Spock informed.

“I hope she’s not a worker’s child from Earth who was playing amongst the supplies. That would be awful,” said Uhura.

Jim suddenly shushed them all. “I need quiet so I can hear.”

They remained silent while Jim closed his eyes, adjusting his hearing in order to search for her. He had only recently been able to start hearing heartbeats, and already he’d figured out what to look for. It wasn’t long before he picked out a small one, beating fast, and he followed it to a control panel where no one was sat. He knelt down to look under it…

…and found the ten-year-old girl sat there, her knees brought close to her chest as she trembled in terror. 


	12. Joanna McCoy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The identity of the child is revealed...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did some research on the name of McCoy’s wife, and found several. The most popular was ‘Jocelyn Darnell’, but I decided to go with the one which was used in the comics; ‘Pamela Branch’. I reasoned this was the closest name to canon, despite the comics not referencing Joanna. But then again not only did the story not need to reference her, but there’s also a lot of inconsistencies in the comics (one being that Jim lost crew in them, while in the film he says he hasn’t lost anyone). I’ve also included the character Clay Treadway.

“Hey, sweetie,” Jim said to the girl, his voice soft. “We’re not gonna hurt you. Come on.” He held out a hand towards her, but she only retreated further back. Jim thought fast. “Spock, come here. I need you to do that…thing you do to calm people down.”

While uncertain if what his Captain had asked of him would do any good, Spock stepped forwards anyway and knelt down by his side. He saw the girl under the panel; she was shaking, obviously in shock. His expression went from stoic to comforting before he telepathically sent out small, soothing emotions to start with.

“It will be fine. I will not hurt you.” When he noticed the shake in her body fading, he held out a hand and moved in closer. “Do not be afraid.” He then placed his hand gently upon her face. He used the connection to send her soothing thoughts, calming her down, and also took the opportunity to find out why she was aboard the _Enterprise_.

When he pulled away his eyes were a little wider than before, and Kirk noticed this instantly. “Spock, what is it?”

“I discovered who she is, Captain,” the Vulcan replied.

McCoy arrived with a small medical bag. “Alright, where is she?” Seeing Kirk and Spock knelt by the control panel, he took a guess and got down next to them. “Have you found any injuries on her-”

He froze and dropped the bag when he saw the girl, his eyes growing three times their size.

The girl’s face brightened up. “Daddy!”

To everyone’s surprise she leapt at McCoy, her arms flying around his neck in greeting, and McCoy responded by pulling her close to him even though the shock was still evident on his face.

“Wait, that’s your daughter?” asked Jim. He knew McCoy had a daughter, but he’d never met her before. And he certainly never expected to find her hiding on the _Enterprise_.

McCoy pulled away, looking his daughter in the eye. “Joanna McCoy, what in God’s name are you _doing_ here?!”

\---

“Alright, young lady. Explain.”

The senior officers were sat in the same room where days ago they’d discovered that two fellow officers were expecting a child together. They had to admit to the irony of finding themselves in the same meeting room with a young child, awaiting the explanation of why she was on board the ship.

Noticing that McCoy’s stern expression was upsetting the girl, Jim gave his friend a pat on the shoulder. “Bones, this isn’t a court martial. Go easy on her, OK?”

“I’m her father, Jim,” said the doctor. “It’s not my job to go easy on her. She could have been hurt in ninety-five different ways down there! Not to mention she’s on this ship without authorization, and I’m supposed to take responsibility for her!”

“Technically, you will not be held responsible for this,” Spock pointed out. “You do not have custody over her, so it is your ex-wife who will be held responsible.”

McCoy rolled his eyes. “I know that, but good luck trying to touch her. Her whole family are lawyers.” He then turned back to his daughter. “Explain, young lady. Now.”

The little girl bit her lip as she kept her gaze averted to her lap. “I don’t like Mom.”

“Can’t really blame you for that,” McCoy admitted. “But that gives you no right to stowaway on this ship. You were living in a stable home and you mother has a stable job. Whatever’s wrong, you’ve never mentioned it to me.”

“I never said anything because I didn’t want you to worry,” Joanna admitted. “And I didn’t want you to get into a fight with Mom.” She took in a deep breath, ready to explain. “It started a few months ago when she met Clay.”

_Of course_ , McCoy realized. “She’s still with Clay Treadway, then?”

“You mean the Captain of the _USS Infinity_?” asked Jim.

McCoy nodded, but then his face grew dark. “He didn’t touch you, did he?”

Joanna shook her head. “No. He barely knows I’m there. And lately, Mom’s been the same. _‘Sorry I couldn’t get you from school; Clay called. Oh, I can’t pick you up from science club tonight, Jo; Clay’s coming over. I can’t take you to the doctor’s, honey; Clay’s taking me out’_. It’s the same every time; she cares about him more than me.”

“That’s why you’ve recently been calling me more often,” McCoy realized. She’d needed a parent to talk to. If only he’d figured it out sooner… “So, you left because she’s not been paying attention.”

“The only time she did was when she noticed that I’d been calling you more,” said Joanna. “She forbid me from calling again. That was about two weeks ago. After that things got worse.”

“Worse?” McCoy leaned in closer, and Jim almost pushed his chair back; the expression on his friend’s face was scary.

Joanna started picking at her fingers. “One week ago she randomly decided that we were moving to Cerberus. Part of the reason is because it’s closer to Clay’s patrol route; he’d be able to visit more often. But the other reason…”

“…is because of the bad communications.” McCoy sighed in irritation. “Possessive bitch.”

“What has poor communications got to do with it?” asked Carol.

“That means Joanna won’t be able to contact me,” said McCoy. “Pamela’s always been possessive; she doesn’t like to share. She took everything from me when we divorced, and I’m surprised she even let me _talk_ to Jo, let alone see her.”

“I had enough,” said Joanna. “I couldn’t stay with her anymore, so I ran away. I didn’t know what you would do if I just walked up to you, so I hid. I’m sorry about that, Daddy; I know it was wrong. But I just want to be with you; I want to go on the adventures you told me about, with Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock and the others. Please let me stay, Daddy?”

She gave him those puppy-dog eyes – those wide, innocent blue eyes which kept him wrapped around her little finger – and he sighed, knowing he couldn’t deny her anything. “I would love to have you here, darling. But it’s really not my call to make.”

“Considering she has been suffering what appears to be emotional abuse and neglect from her mother, you may be able to plead with the courts for her custody,” said Spock.

“But I lost last time,” said the doctor.

“Yeah, but last time you were a small-time doctor with nothing and no one to help you,” Jim explained. “Now you work on the flagship of the Federation _and_ you’re the best doctor in the fleet. Pamela may have a family of lawyers, but you have the entire Federation behind you. And we all know that Starfleet takes matters concerning the well-being of family members _very_ seriously.”

“And we’ll all have your back,” Uhura added. The rest of the senior officers nodded in agreement.

McCoy was almost speechless. There was a chance of having his daughter with him, and he couldn’t be happier. “Thank you; all of you. I really don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t even have to say ‘you’re welcome’, Bones.” Jim gave his friend a pat on the back. “If we’d been on any other mission, we would have turned this ship around to get the matter sorted right away. But right now, we can’t.”

“I know.” McCoy sighed; he really didn’t want his daughter in this kind of danger, facing Khan and the few members of his crew. But there wasn’t much choice, and he knelt so he was at eye level with his daughter. “Darling, I need you to stay in my quarters for the remainder of the mission, OK? It’s gonna get dangerous.”

“I understand, Daddy.” She leapt at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, and he hugged her back. It warmed his heart being able to hold her in his arms again.

The comm chimed. “ _Captain, this is Lt. Riley._ ”

“Proximity alert?” Jim asked immediately.

“ _Yes, sir. We think it’s Khan’s ship._ ”

“We’re on our way.” Jim nodded to the rest of the officers, who all understood and rose to report to their stations.

\---

“Spock, wait.”

The First Officer paused, allowing the others to go on ahead, and he turned to face his bondmate. “Yes, Nyota?”

“About earlier, when you approached Joanna…” She crossed the gap separating them and placed a kiss on his cheek. “I still don’t understand why you think you’ll make a bad father. You were very gentle with her.”

“I had to be in order to calm her down,” said Spock. “It was logical.”

“Logic would have required you to only remain calm.” She reached up and touched one of his ears tenderly. “Parental instincts told you to be gentle. Once you were uncertain about your relationship with me; you didn’t think someone like me could love someone like you. But I proved you wrong, and I’m determined to do it again.”

She walked past him towards the bridge, and he followed once he’d gathered himself – for his ears were sensitive, and touching them drove him crazy.

\---

Christine Chapel was sat by the hospital bed when Korby finally awoke, groaning in pain and struggling to move.

“Roger.” Christine was immediately alert, laying a gentle hand upon her lover’s shoulder in order to stop him from moving. “Roger, take it easy. You almost died.”

Roger cracked a smile. “You and I both know it’ll take more than this to kill me,” he said. “What happened?”

“It was Khan,” she explained. “He found me first, and forced me to lead him to his crew. I led him to the three you kept alive. And when I told him what happened to the others, he…he hurt me. I’m fine, but when he went to find you, I feared the worst…”

“Did you tell the Admiral about his crew?”

She shook her head. “You told me not to. They’re still looking. Khan and the remainder of his crew are gone, but they took Lucille with them.”

Roger froze, as if suddenly remembering a vital piece of information. “Her mother’s dead…and Lucille… Are we going after her?”

“Kirk and his crew already left in pursuit,” said Christine. “We couldn’t wait until you woke up; they needed to act fast. And you won’t be able to do anything for a long time.”

“I will, Christine.” He turned to her fully. “You remember what I told you, didn’t you?”

Christine stared at him before she nodded, taking a small vial of blood from her pocket. Korby had extracted the sample from one of the three augments he’d been studying, and had told her that if he ever got seriously hurt, she was to somehow get that blood inside him, no matter what. But now that the time had finally arrived…

“Roger, I don’t think we should do this,” she tried to tell him. “You saw what it did to Lucille and Kirk.”

“That’s why I have to, Christine. Please. Do it.”

She could not ignore a request from her lover, so Christine attached the serum to the life support. The blood began to enter his system, and just as Christine noticed the change on the computer screen, she heard shouting outside.

“Can you go see what that’s about?” asked Roger. “It’s giving me a headache.”

Christine nodded and left the room, almost colliding with Admiral Barnett. “Apologies, Admiral,” she said.

“That's quite all right, Nurse.” The Admiral then turned back to the couple he was speaking with. “For the last time, there is nothing I can do at this time. Captain, you should know that.”

Christine looked the couple up and down; the brown haired, brown eyed man was in Starfleet uniform, obviously a Captain, and it took a few moments for her to place a name to his face. It was Captain Clay Treadway, she eventually remembered; she had seen his picture hung up in the main area of Starfleet’s headquarters.

The woman had black hair, large looped earrings and brown eyes. She wore a business suit and carried herself in a professional, no-nonsense manner. And she did not look happy with the Admiral. “But there has to be something you can do! My daughter is on one of your ships, and unless you get it turned around, I’ll sue!”

“You can certainly _try_ , but that won’t make a difference,” said Barnett. “The _Enterprise_ is on a very important mission, and can’t afford any delays. Your daughter has almost certainly been found by the crew, and will be taken care of. Besides, the mission will only last for a few days at most; she’ll be back here soon enough.”

“Good. Then we can leave,” said the woman.

“It’s not that easy, Ms. Branch.” The Admiral’s eyes narrowed. “Considering your daughter went through the trouble of travelling to San Francisco and took the risk of stowing away on a Federation vessel, there is obviously something going on at home. There will be a brief investigation. Regulations require it.” He then turned and walked away.

“He’s right, Pam,” said Captain Treadway.

The woman went to say something back but then noticed Christine. “Do you mind?” she snapped. “This is a private conversation.”

Christine was tempted to say that it didn’t sound private, what with the way the woman had been shouting, but thought against it. “Apologies, ma’am. Did you say your daughter was on the _Enterprise_? I used to work as a nurse on that ship before I transferred.”

“Yes, that’s where she is,” said the woman. “So you must know the doctor who works on that ship; Leonard McCoy. He’s my ex.”

“Yes, I know him.” Before Christine could say more Roger suddenly appeared from his room, looking as healthy as he had been before he’d been injured. It made Christine relieved…but it also disturbed her slightly.

“I couldn’t help but overhear your plight,” he told the couple. “I’m Dr. Roger Korby, and I may be able to help you if you help me.”

Christine didn’t like the sound of that. 


	13. Tractor Beaming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Enterprise catches up with Khan's crew.

Lucille wasn’t sure how long it had been since she’d woken up; she hadn’t really been keeping track of the time.

The girl focussed her attention on a game she was playing on her PADD, which Washington had fixed for her earlier. But the once challenging game was now not, and it failed to keep her thoughts away from what had happened. Her father was gone, and so was her mother. Any other eight-year-old would be in tears. But Lucille Harewood was not like any other eight-year-old; she was strong, even without her new abilities.

The door opened, and Lucille looked up to see Khan entering the room. He said nothing; he only sat down upon her bed next to her. Sonny – who had been lying peacefully on the floor – picked himself up and walked over to greet the man, who gave him a pat on the head.

“That’s odd,” Lucille observed. “He’s been trained to know who bad people are, and yet he likes you.”

“Then maybe I’m not a bad person.”

Lucille only turned back to her game, but sighed and threw the PADD onto her pillow when she ended up winning again.

“Too challenging?” asked Khan.

“Too _easy_ ,” she corrected him. “I used to love that game because it gave my mind exercise. Now I’ve played over a hundred times, won every game and beat the all-time inter-planetary record. It’s not fun anymore.” She turned to him. “What _do_ you guys do for fun?”

“Take over a third of the globe.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You did that for _fun_?”

“That, and we felt the necessary urge to display our superiority to the people of the world.” He sighed. “When one is blessed with great talents they are obliged to display those talents, and it is up to those around them whether to react in awe or horror.”

Lucille only stared. “But you don’t have to be so mean about it. I know you can’t help it; Dr. Korby says it’s a side effect. But at least you can try being nice.”

Khan blinked as the girl’s words processed. “What did Korby say?”

“He said he found the notes of a doctor who created you,” Lucille replied. “Dr. Stavos Keniclius. The notes said that you guys have this defect in your genome. The abilities cause aggression, arrogance and ambition.” She looked down. “Dr. Korby said he was going to find a way to help, but… Well, you saw what he did to my Mummy, and what I did to him in return.”

Khan had been listening carefully. “This theory is new to me, but I can understand why since the doctors rarely told us much outside our abilities. But it is not simply something that can be ‘fixed’; aggression is something of a choice. While I was growing up in the facility, I taught myself that one must be aggressive only when they need to be; mindless violence only hinders you. I learnt to control my savage nature. If you would like, perhaps I could teach my technique to you?”

Lucille looked at him again, her dark eyes meeting his icy blue ones. She realized that his offer was genuine; he wanted to get to know her, after everything that had happened. But despite this – and despite his reasons and what she had heard earlier – it still felt…wrong.

She looked away again. “It scares me when I get emotional. I’m scared…and then I’m angry. I lash out. And then I sort of wake up from it and see what I’ve done… Even when I killed Dr. Korby, I was still afraid of my actions.”

“I can teach you how to control it.”

“I know, you said.” Once again, she looked up at him. “But I can’t just forget what you made my Daddy do. People don’t work like that; forgiveness isn’t that easily given. I know Daddy and I weren’t very close; he worked a lot. But he still loved me, and I loved him. You have to understand that it’s something I can’t just ignore, no matter what your reasons were.”

“And I understand. You were raised to be normal, and to have normal judgements. But your father did have a choice; he did not have to do it.”

“But he would have told people about you, so you would have killed him. And you knew he would choose to save me, which technically isn’t much of a choice.”

“Yes, I knew he would save you. And you already know why.” He sent her an expectant look; he knew that she knew the answer.

“Because of your crew,” said Lucille. “Your family; if you had been in his position, you would have done the same.”

“In a heartbeat.” He rose from the bed. “Our kind live twice as long as a normal human, meaning you will have plenty of time to come to terms with things. And I will give you all the time you need.”

Suddenly the ship lurched, sending Khan stumbling and Lucille tumbling off her bed. Khan instantly hurried to help Lucille to her feet while Sonny barked repeatedly.

“What was that?” asked the girl.

No sooner had she asked they heard heavy footsteps approaching, before the door opened to reveal Washington. “Khan, a ship forced us out of warp and completely wrecked the engine. Starfleet.”

“Name?”

“The _Enterprise_.”

Khan opened his mouth to say something, but then caught sight of Lucille so instead muttered that something under his breath, so quietly that she couldn’t pick it up even with enhanced hearing. She guessed that he’d just cursed to himself, and hadn’t wanted her to hear. All adults were the same.

“Does the ship have any offensive capabilities?” asked Khan, as they left the room and began to hurry down the hall.

“Not much,” said Washington. “A small phaser bank, but that’s all.”

Lucille hurried after the two men with Sonny trotting along beside her. “The _Enterprise_ was Captain Kirk’s ship; he was nice. Maybe if I talked to him-”

“I doubt that will work,” said Khan. “Not after what happened during my last encounter with him.” They entered the bridge, where the rest of the crew were busy trying to stabilize the ship. “Muhammad, turn her around so we’re facing the ship head on. Caesar, prepare to fire on my command. Washington, try and get that engine fixed. Cleopatra, keep the hailing frequencies closed, even if they attempt to contact us. Victoria, stand by.”

The girl watched as Khan ordered his crew around with no hesitance; his voice was commanding, but not scary in a way which would make people fear him. It was a voice which commanded loyalty, something his crew gave him without second thought.

The ship suddenly shook again, and everyone grabbed hold of something to prevent themselves from falling over. Sonny barked again.

“The phaser’s been hit,” Caesar reported. “We can’t fight back.”

Washington hurried onto the bridge again. “The engine’s lost. We only have enough power for life support.”

The ship shuddered, not enough to knock them off their feet, and the crew exchanged confused glances.

“I’m getting a reading I don’t understand,” Muhammad reported.

Khan, Victoria and Washington hurried to look, and Lucille walked over to them at a slower pace. “What is it?”

“Tractor beam.” Khan hit his fist into the side of a control panel, leaving a dent. “They have us.”

“So what should we do?” asked Victoria. “Come out fighting?”

“It will be our only choice.”

Lucille bit her lip, realizing there was another alternative and making up her mind to follow through with it.

\---

“Ze tractor beam is pulling zem in, Keptin.”

“Excellent, Mr. Chekov.” Kirk opened up the comm on his chair. “All decks, this is the Captain speaking; all security personnel are to report to the hanger bay immediately, along with any volunteers who have experience in hand-to-hand combat. Kirk out.” He then rose from his seat.

Spock immediately approached. “Captain, since I was able to subdue Khan before, I would like to volunteer.”

“I was about to ask,” said Kirk, before turning to the helm. “Sulu, grab that sword of yours; you’re coming, too.”

“Aye, Captain.”

Uhura rose from her seat, but was prevent from following by Spock almost instantly. “Nyota, I will veto this decision; you are not coming.”

“I second that,” Jim added. “Uhura, you’re staying here. That’s an order. Chekov, Marcus, make sure Lt. Uhura doesn’t follow.”

The blonde and the young Russian nodded. While Uhura looked annoyed, she accepted the decision and sat back down at her station as Kirk, Spock and Sulu left.

\---

When the ship landed in the hanger bay of the _Enterprise_ , the augments gathered by the main door in preparation. There were no phasers on the ship, but they didn’t need them; there wasn’t a need for any kind of weapon when one could crush a man’s skull with their bare hands.

“They’ve gathered around the ship,” Caesar reported, looking out the window.

Khan nodded. “Kirk is mine. Victoria and Washington; both of you handle the Vulcan. The rest of you; take down anyone who stands in your way.”

“What about the kid?” Washington nodded over to where Lucille was stood.

“She shall remain here until I call for her,” Khan replied. “Now, await my signal.”

The door opened, and they hung back in the shadows so they wouldn’t be spotted. Almost instantly, Lucille hurried past and out; Victoria tried to grab her but Khan held the woman back. They couldn’t give away their positions, although he stared after the child as he worried about what she was going to do.

\---

The security team raised their phasers when someone left the ship, but Jim immediately signalled for them to hold fire when he saw that it was only Lucille. He was surprised that Khan let her out – unless it was part of his plan.

“Hey, Lucie,” he said, holding out a hand towards her. “Come on. You’re safe now. We’re gonna get you home.”

But Lucille shook her head. “I have something to say first. I want you to hear it before you capture them.”

Kirk and Spock exchanged confused glances before turning back to her. “Is Khan making you do this?” asked the latter.

Again, Lucille shook her head. “This was my choice to come to you.” She took in a deep breath. “If I turn myself over, I want you to let Khan and his crew go; he only wants to be left alone with his family, and since the other sixty-seven were killed-”

“Wait, _killed_?” Jim questioned. “The other augments were relocated, but Korby didn’t say where.”

“Then he must have said that to hide the truth,” said Lucille. “I know that you’re bringing Khan in because he killed Dr. Korby, but he didn’t; _I_ did.”

Everyone’s eyes widened. “ _You_ attacked him?” Jim asked, and she nodded. “Well, for starters, you didn’t kill him; he’s in a critical condition back at Starfleet’s hospital. And secondly, I’m finding it hard to believe what you’re saying. Are you sure Khan isn’t making you say all this?”

“No. I’m not.”

Phasers were raised when Khan appeared from inside the ship, and the augment rolled his eyes. He knew those things wouldn’t do anything to him.

“Khan…” Kirk warned.

“I said I am not forcing her to say anything,” said Khan. “And the reason I took her was because I consider her to be one of my own now that she has developed superior abilities. She speaks the truth, and you can even have your computer check for any indication of lying; she attacked Korby, and my crew are dead thanks to the same man.”

“Then what about Rima Harewood?” asked Spock.

Lucille averted her gaze to her feet. “Dr. Korby killed her.”

There was silence in the room. Jim looked at Lucille closely; he could see the sadness in her eyes, and she appeared genuine in her accusation of Korby. He also realized that Khan could not have killed Rima, as he had initially suspected, since Lucille wouldn’t be making an effort to defend him otherwise.

Something was definitely wrong here. And he wanted to know what.

“Mr. Sulu, report back to the bridge and set a course for Ceti Alpha V. Khan, I can guarantee the release of you and your crew if you all come with me now and tell us the full story.” 


	14. The Truth Becomes Clear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Enterprise crew discover the truth...

“Are you ready, Lt. Noel?”

“Almost, Captain.” Helen Noel was setting up the psychotricorder chair, with the assistance of Martha Landon, so they would be able to tell whether the person sat in the chair was lying or not.

Kirk nodded before he scanned the room; Khan and his crew were being guarded by several security officers, while Lucille was sat down on a chair so McCoy could give her a medical check. The dog, Sonny, was lying by the girl’s feet protectively, as if he didn’t trust those around him. It made Kirk wonder how he had been fine around the augments.

Spock was watching Khan’s crew warily. “Captain, I am uncertain of what you are trying to prove,” he whispered to Kirk.

“You heard what they said, Spock,” Jim whispered back. “Khan’s crew were killed, along with Rima. Something’s not right. Isn’t it logical to seek the truth in these cases?”

“Well, yes.” At Kirk’s raised eyebrow, Spock looked away. “I apologize, Captain. I was not thinking straight.”

“You’re worried about your pregnant girlfriend. I understand. Don’t worry; she’s on the bridge, and she’s staying there for now.” He then glanced at the young, blonde Yeoman. “Just don’t tell Chekov _his_ girlfriend’s here; he’ll freak out.”

“He already knows. What is being said in this room is being broadcast around the ship so everyone can listen, including the bridge.”

Kirk just sighed.

Lt. Noel and Yeoman Landon rose to their feet. “We’re ready, Captain,” said the former. Martha switched on her hand-held tricorder and held it ready.

Kirk nodded before turning to McCoy. “Bones, is she ready?”

“All I can detect is symptoms for mild trauma; she should be fine for the time being, but I recommend getting her out the chair if she begins to grow distressed.” He rose and helped Lucille to her feet, before the girl crossed the room and sat in the psychotricorder chair, placing her hand upon the small glowing circle at the end of the right arm rest.

Upon giving the augments a quick glance, Jim saw that the dark-haired woman looked worried, and even Khan was showing similar signs, if more hidden. “Now, little lady,” the Captain began, “I'm going to ask you questions about what happened. The chair will know if you’re lying or not, so answer as truthfully as you can. And just say so if the questions begin to upset you. OK?”

Lucille nodded. “I’m ready.”

“OK.” Kirk sighed. “So, when did you begin to realize that something wasn’t right?”

“Um…” Lucille paused to think. “When I was called in by Dr. Korby for an examination, and you weren’t. He sent Mummy and Sonny away because he said they weren’t allowed to be in the room for the tests. Sonny took some convincing to leave; he’s specially trained to know who bad people are. I think he knew what Dr. Korby was going to do, and we should have paid attention to him.”

“Why’s he fine with that lot?” McCoy nodded over at the augments.

Lucille didn’t answer him. “Dr. Korby took me into this white room with only a chair in the middle. I sat on it; there was this window as well, where he could watch, and a control panel underneath where he could do different things to the room. He was there with Nurse Chapel.”

“Christine?” Jim questioned. “She’s part of this, too?”

“I don’t think she is willingly, because from what I could tell, she didn’t like it,” said Lucille. “That’s when Dr. Korby started performing the tests.” She bit her lip, averting her gaze to her lap.

Jim knelt down in front of her. “You don’t have to tell us everything. We can see that whatever he did, he must have hurt you.”

There was a crunch, and everyone looked up to see that the dark-haired woman had punched a dent in the wall.

“Victoria.” Khan sent her a glance which was part warning and part concern.

The woman – Victoria – lowered her head. “Apologies; I lost control.”

Kirk turned back to Lucille. “What happened afterwards?”

“During the tests, I got angry and smashed the window,” Lucille explained. “I was knocked out before I could do anymore damage, though. When I woke up, Dr. Korby threatened me; he said bad things would happen if I told anyone what he’d done. He said I had to stay in the lab, and got some officers to get my stuff. Mummy and Sonny came back at the end of the day; Mummy knew something had happened, but I didn’t want to tell her. She found a PADD which said something about what happened, and she questioned Dr. Korby. Then Sonny barked at him. Mummy realized then that Dr. Korby had lied to her, and when I started crying…”

As she said the word, tears formed in her eyes and she took in deep breaths, stopping herself from losing it.

“Jim, remove her from the chair. We can guess what happened next,” said McCoy.

Jim helped Lucille from the chair and sat her into a normal one. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Khan take one step towards them, wanting to approach, before thinking better of it and staying back. It reminded Kirk of what McCoy had said before.

Once he was certain the girl would be all right, Jim rose again and turned to Noel and Landon. “Anything?”

“Her brainwaves show trauma,” said the blonde.

The brunette checked the chair. “And the computer within the chair didn’t detect any lies in what she said; her uncertain pauses were because of what she’s been through. As a psychiatrist, I stress that she gets help once we’re through here.”

“Will do, Noel.” Jim nodded, before turning to the lead augment. “Khan, your turn.” Khan strode over to the chair without hesitating and sat himself down upon it. “Now, the same applies; I’m gonna ask you questions, and the computer will know whether you’re lying or not. Am I clear?”

“Crystal.” Khan’s stoic expression never changed.

“OK, first question; you were rescued from your imprisonment by two of your crew members, correct?”

“Yes.” He gestured to Victoria and the man stood next to her.

“And then those same crew members assisted you in breaking into Starfleet,” Jim continued. “You were looking for your crew?”

“Yes,” said Khan. “I knew Korby would know their location, so I endeavoured to force him into telling us. Before we reached him, however, we happened across the nurse who assisted him, and decided to force her instead since she would be easier.”

“Nurse Chapel?” Spock questioned.

Khan nodded. “She led us to a room where we found only three members of my crew.” He gestured to the other three. “When I asked her where the rest of them were, she was at first hesitant to tell me, but I persuaded her. She said that Korby had ordered for the rest to be killed.”

The chair didn’t buzz. Jim and Spock exchanged glances. “Augments aren’t immune to lie-detection,” said the former. “I tested the chair out when I got bored.”

Spock almost rolled his eyes before returning his attention to Khan. “Then were you the ones who killed the officers in charge of the cryo-tubes? They were found dead, having apparently taken suicide pills.”

“I didn’t have time to track them down,” said Khan. “And if I had, then I would have killed them in a way so there would be no doubt that I had done it.”

“That is true,” Spock agreed. “Meaning that perhaps Korby killed them so they could not tell anyone else what had happened to the crew, for Starfleet regulations required for the remaining augments to remain alive. Had the Admiral found out, Korby would have had to answer for it.”

“And he’s gonna.” Kirk turned back to Khan. “So what happened then? You obviously took out your anger on Christine, and then went charging off to find Korby.”

“Victoria and I set out to kill him,” Khan replied. “We wanted to make him suffer for what he had done to our family. But upon reaching his laboratory, we discovered that the child had beaten us to it. We found Korby near death and the girl curled up in a corner. Seeing as she now had our abilities, I decided that she was one of us. So we took her, to prevent her from being locked up on Earth.”

“They wouldn’t have done that,” said Jim. “And there must be another reason why you took her, otherwise you would have at least attempted to take me, too.” Although he already suspected what that other reason was.

Khan only smirked. “You do not know your Starfleet Admirals very well, Kirk. Lucille may only be a child, but after what she did to Korby, they would assume the worst and lock her up, just in case. And they would do the same to you. As for my reasons, you must have been informed by your doctor what Admiral Marcus did when I was discovered. He killed my unborn child. Starfleet took a child from me, so I decided to take one of theirs. You can ask her; I never intended to hurt her, and I would never even think of it.”

Kirk looked to Lucille, who after a pause, nodded. “He never hurt me. He never even _tried_.”

The Captain sighed. “Why is it that you’re always getting the blame for things and some guy I trusted turns out to be the real culprit?”

Khan raised an eyebrow. “Stop trusting those you know nothing about.”

“Yeah, thanks.” He sighed. “Well, whether you were responsible or not, my orders were to just let you and your crew settle on Ceti Alpha V. You’re out of our way, and you’re left alone; it’s a win-win situation. But she’ll have to come back with us.” He nodded to Lucille.

Khan’s eyebrows narrowed, and Victoria looked as though she was about to attack Kirk, but a security officer poked his phaser into her back in order to remind her that she was surrounded.

The comm chimed. “ _Captain, this is Sulu. We’ve reached Ceti Alpha V; any further orders?_ ”

“None yet, Sulu. Maintain standard orbit.”

“ _Aye, Captain._ ”

But before the line disconnected, another voice made itself heard. “ _Captain, it’s Uhura. I’m receiving a transmission from Earth._ ”

Kirk blinked in surprise. “Put it on screen here. And broadcast it around the ship, along with our replies.”

“ _Yes, Captain._ ”

The screen in the room came to life, and soon showed Admiral Barnett sat at his desk back at Starfleet’s headquarters. “ _Captain Kirk._ ”

“Admiral Barnett,” said Kirk, “I didn’t expect to receive a transmission from you.”

“ _I wasn’t expecting to make one to you, either._ ” The Admiral then noticed who was in the room. “ _I see you captured Khan and his crew._ ”

“Yes, sir,” said Jim. “But we have some rather distressing news. Dr. Korby needs to be put under arrest immediately; he gave the order for Khan’s crew to be killed, and he was the one who murdered Rima Harewood. The only thing Khan is guilty of is killing several officers in his way and the kidnapping of Lucille Harewood – but I can’t really call it that, since he technically _rescued_ her from Korby.”

Barnett looked disturbed by this. “ _We’d already started to suspect that Khan’s crew have been killed. We looked in every available location and there is simply no other place for them to be stored. We also had our best medical officers examine those scissors which were used to kill Mrs. Harewood, and only found the fingerprints of her and Korby on them. Have you validated the truth in Khan’s story?_ ”

“Yes, we had our best do so,” replied Kirk. “Khan’s telling the truth, as is Lucille. I was about to make the decision to allow Khan and his crew to settle on Ceti Alpha V, before we return to Earth.”

The Admiral continued, “ _That’s not the only thing that’s happened here. Are you aware of a stowaway on your ship?_ ”

“Joanna McCoy. We found her just after we left Earth, sir. She’s in her father’s quarters.”

“ _I was confronted by her mother and Captain Treadway, and I told them there was nothing I could do until your return,_ ” said the Admiral. “ _Less than an hour later, Treadway’s ship left Earth without authorization, leading us to conclude that they had gone after you. But then we discovered that Dr. Korby’s bed was empty, and that Nurse Chapel was missing._ ”

Kirk and Spock exchanged confused glances. “How is that possible?” asked the latter.

“ _We reviewed the security footage and discovered what happened,_ ” Barnett replied. “ _Several days ago, he extracted a blood sample from one of the augments, and then told Chapel to inject it into him. Then when he was cured of his injuries, he convinced Captain Treadway to go after you. All I ask of you is to not engage fire if they catch up with you; return to Earth and allow the fleet to handle them._ ”

“Yes, sir,” said Kirk. When the transmission ended, he turned to Spock. “Have the ship in the hanger repaired and ready to launch for Khan and his crew. Get Scotty on it, and tell him to hurry.”

“Captain, as Mr. Scott would say, ‘you cannot change the laws of physics’. The repairs will take time.”

Kirk rolled his eyes and went to say something back when the comm chimed again. “ _Proximity alert, Captain. There’s a ship at maximum warp heading straight for us._ ”

“Korby,” Khan spat, rising from the chair.

Jim and Spock exchanged worried glances, before the former turned to address everyone. “All of you to the bridge, now.” 


	15. Stand Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get deadly...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this chapter is supposed to be similar to what happened in 'Into Darkness'. This is because I wanted to highlight the similarities and play with them, as I felt it was necessary for the story.

Joanna McCoy was sat quietly on the spare bed in her father’s room, playing a game on a PADD she had been allowed to borrow, when the door opened and said father entered. He was muttering under his breath, and Joanna knew from experience that these mutterings were always a bad sign.

“Daddy, what’s wrong?” she asked. She switched off the PADD and hopped off the bed.

“Your damn mother’s come after you.” McCoy ran his hand through his hair. “Come on, we’re going to the bridge; I don’t wanna leave you here alone.” The ten-year-old nodded before following her father out of his quarters.

\---

“Keptin on ze bridge!”

Kirk strode over to his chair and sat down. “How long until they get here, Sulu?”

“Less than a minute, Captain.” The helmsmen then noticed the…guests Kirk had brought along. “Excuse me for asking, Captain, but why are Khan and his crew here?”

“Just in case,” replied Kirk.

McCoy was last to enter the bridge with his daughter. “Medical is on alert in case we’re attacked.”

Kirk nodded before opening the ship-wide comm. “All decks on red alert; this is not a drill. I want phaser banks standing by.”

“Captain, I thought Admiral Barnett asked us not to engage in combat with the other vessel?” Spock reminded.

“I know, but they may fire at us; he said nothing about defending ourselves if necessary.” He then noticed Yeoman Landon stood next to Chekov. “Landon-”

She immediately backed away from the young Ensign. “I’m sorry, Captain. I should be at my post. I apologize-”

“No need to, Landon,” said Jim with a smile. “You can stay where you are. Something may happen.” While she looked stunned, the blonde nodded with a smile.

Spock gave his Captain a confused look. “Captain?”

“The same goes for you, Mr. Spock.” He nodded over to where Uhura was sat at her post. Spock hesitated, but when Kirk insisted with a, “That’s an order” the Vulcan gave in and walked over to his girlfriend, who greeted him with a small smile.

“Twenty seconds, sir,” Sulu reported.

Jim scanned the bridge, making sure his crew were ready, and caught sight of one of the security officers preventing the dark-haired augment – Victoria, he recalled – from standing by Lucille. The expression on her face wasn’t possessive or angry; it was of longing. At that moment she wasn’t a ruthless superhuman soldier, but a mother wanting to be with her child.

“Mr. Hendorff.” The security guard turned to attention. “Step aside. That’s an order.” The officer looked both confused and wary, but did as he was told and stepped out of the way. Victoria immediately placed herself next to Lucille in a protective manner.

Jim spun his chair so he was facing forwards – and out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Khan moving next to the woman, taking her hand in his.

“Mr. Sulu?”

“They’ll be appearing in five, four, three, two, one.”

The _USS Infinity_ came to a halt before them. A _Constitution_ -class ship like the _Enterprise_ , she had been around for a few years longer, having had her maiden voyage while Spock was still a cadet at the academy. The ship looked worn and battered, showing that her Captain had not been as careful with her as he should have.

“They’re hailing us, Captain.” Uhura rose from her chair with Spock stood by her side.

“Put it on screen, Uhura,” said Kirk. “And broadcast the transmission ship-wide like the previous.”

The screen blinked a couple of times before the face of Captain Treadway appeared, his expression serious. He meant business, and Kirk knew it. “ _Captain Kirk, this is Captain Clay Treadway of the Starship Infinity. You should know why I have come._ ”

“Admiral Barnett called ahead and informed me,” said Kirk. “I am very much aware of the stowaway aboard my ship. As you can see, she’s safe.” He called the McCoys over, and while wary, they both came up beside Jim. “Once our mission was complete, we were going to bring her in. I’m not entirely sure what the problem is?”

“ _I’ll tell you the problem!_ ” said a voice off-screen, before a woman with dark hair appeared alongside Treadway. “ _She’s my daughter, and my ex-husband kidnapped her! He’s still bitter about our divorce, so he took her from me!_ ”

“Now you wait just a second, Pamela-” McCoy would have ranted back, but Jim rose and placed a hand upon his friend’s shoulder. A single look which was both a warning and reassuring one was all Jim needed to make McCoy back down. “Fine.” He walked away with Joanna.

“The situation would have been handled once we arrived back on Earth, which would have been soon,” Jim continued, taking a seat again. “There was really no need to worry. I suggest, Captain Treadway, that you return before the rest of the fleet arrives to deal with you.”

“ _They won’t be dealing with us. They’ll be dealing with you._ ” Dr. Korby appeared on screen, a smug smile upon his face.

Behind him Jim heard Lucille gasp, and Sonny began to bark at the doctor. The Captain tried his best not to send Korby a death glare, and instead mustered the best smile he could make. “Dr. Korby, what a surprise. You’ve really recovered from your injuries. Of course, we already knew that, because like I said, the Admiral contacted us. He didn’t just explain about Joanna; he told us a lot of things. And little Lucille has told us a lot of things, too. So what do you have to say for yourself?”

The smug smile which had been on Korby’s face vanished. “ _Well, that’s a shame. I was hoping we could do this the easy way, but that’s life, I suppose._ ”

“There’s no way out for you, Korby,” said Kirk. “Starfleet’s onto you.” He turned to Treadway. “Captain Treadway, you need to place this man under arrest; whatever he’s told you is not true.”

“ _He told me you’d say that,_ ” said Treadway. “ _He’s the best scientist in the galaxy; I’d take his word any day over the word of a Captain who’s too young and too ignorant to command a Starship. He said that the augment’s blood has taken over you; he said that you and your crew are defecting to Khan’s side. And he said that unless I stopped you now, you’ll take over the Federation and destroy any life you feel to be inferior to yourself._ ”

Kirk rose from his seat. “I may have that man’s blood in me, but that doesn’t make me like him.”

“ _I never finished studying you, Kirk,_ ” Korby said back. “ _For all you know, in a week you’ll be consumed by aggression and arrogance, and by that time it’ll be too late._ ”

“If you return to Earth, they’ll arrest you,” Kirk reminded. “They have all the evidence required-”

“ _They won’t when I’m done here,_ ” said Korby. “ _We’re going to destroy your ship, Kirk, and you won’t even be able to fight back. Then we’ll return, and I’ll straighten out the story; Rima Harewood attacked me in pointless anger because I was simple looking out for her daughter, and then accidentally killed herself while I was fighting back. As for those officers, well, they killed the remaining augments because of what they did during the Eugenics Wars, and since they didn’t want to be discovered they then killed themselves._ ”

“You’re a maniac!” Kirk spat. “And to think we admired you!”

“ _All doctors are at least half mad, Kirk,_ ” he said. “ _And what I’m doing may seem wrong and immoral, but in the long run what I’m doing will save mankind. Once I figure out how to remove the side effects, the augments’ blood can be used as a serum for all. Think about it; a world where no one falls ill, and life is twice as long. But no one understands that in order to achieve this, risks must be taken. Pain must be endured._ ”

“And you think I’m gonna let you do that to a little girl?!” Kirk shook his head. “If you need someone, you can have me. But you stay _the hell_ away from Lucille! And why you think that we won’t fight back is beyond me. For a genius, you must know that’ll never happen!”

Korby smirked, and Jim immediately realized he was up to something. “ _Think about what you said, Kirk. I’m a genius. I don’t need you; I already have everything I need to know about an adult augment. All I need is knowledge on a child, both young…and even unborn. And I also made a deal with Ms. Branch; one I intend to keep._ ”

There were three separate screams, and Kirk turned…only for his eyes to widen with horror.

He first noticed Lucille caught in the transporter beam, running in circles in an effort to unlock it from herself. Then he noticed that Joanna was caught in one too, and she was staring at her hands in disbelief. And then he finally noticed that Uhura was caught in one, and that Spock was trying to hold onto her.

But nothing worked, and the three disappeared off the ship.

“LUCILLE!”

“JOANNA!”

“NYOTA!”

Kirk spun around and gave Korby a death glare. “You send them back here right now, or else I’ll-”

“ _You’ll what, Captain Kirk?_ ” Korby smirked. “ _You can’t fight back, otherwise you’ll put them at risk. I am truly sorry about this, Kirk; you and I could have been great friends under different circumstances. I hope you understand._ ” He then nodded to Treadway.

“ _Lock on phasers. Prepare to fire._ ” The transmission cut off.

Taking in deep breaths, Kirk turned to the crew, all looking equally as shocked as him. His gaze settled on McCoy, who looked on the verge of despair, and then on Spock, who’s expression of rage he hadn’t seen since he’d made him emotionally compromised over a year ago. And then finally his gaze settled upon the augments, and what he saw raised his shock to an entirely new level.

He’d suspected earlier that Khan had developed paternal instincts towards Lucille; he had seen it in the augment’s eyes, for it was the same look Kirk gave anyone threatening his crew and family, the same look Spock gave anyone who tried flirting with Uhura, and the same one McCoy had whenever his daughter was mentioned. Before, Khan had partly concealed it, most likely in an effort to give himself the comfort of remaining superior to everyone else.

But not this time; the emotion was there, clear as day, and it was so _raw_ that Kirk almost had to take a step back.

Khan held Kirk’s gaze, and for that one moment – that one moment which was identical to the one over a month ago – the two finally understood each other. They were both willing to do anything to protect their crews; they had both experienced the gut-wrenching feeling that their crews were lost, even if it hadn’t lasted long, and they were experiencing the sensation again simultaneously.

The moment felt like hours. But then Sulu broke the silence that had settled upon the bridge. “Captain, something’s happened,” he reported. “Their weapons systems have gone offline.”

Carol hurried over to look. “He’s right.”

“Zeir shields are down too, Keptin,” said Chekov.

Kirk’s utter relief was masked by his confusion, and he opened up a channel to engineering. “Mr. Scott, are you there?”

“ _Aye, Cap’n! What happened? I thought those bastards were gonna blast us across the galaxy!_ ”

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” said Kirk. “Their weapons went offline and their shields are down. Sound familiar?”

“ _I see what you mean, Cap’n. But how can I do that when I’m here, sir?_ ”

That’s when Kirk’s personal comm chimed, and he picked it up in an instant. “Kirk, here.”

“ _Jim, it’s me. It’s Christine._ ”

“Christine?” Kirk looked around, as if expecting her to suddenly turn up on the bridge. “Where are you?”

“ _I’m on the other ship. I turned off their weapons, dropped the shields and disabled the warp-core. I’m not sure how long it’ll take them to fix it._ ”

Kirk’s face lit up with a smile. While he was aware of Christine’s part in Korby’s plan, that didn’t stop his gratitude. “Christine, you’re a wonder with patients, and now with ships! How’d you do it?”

“ _When I was attempting to get over…well, you know, I briefly dated an officer who worked in engineering,_ ” said the nurse. “ _He taught me a few things. Jim, I’m so sorry about everything that’s happened. I knew what Roger was doing, but I wanted so badly to give him a chance, I couldn’t say no to him._ ”

“That’s OK, Nurse,” Kirk assured her. “Where are you? We need to beam aboard and retrieve some of our own.”

“ _I’m deep in engineering. Hurry; they’ll be looking for the cause soon. Just beam to my coordinates. Chapel out._ ” The connection cut.

Kirk turned to the crew. “OK, here’s what we’re gonna do; beam aboard, find the girls, beam back and get out of here. Hendorff, I’ll need you and your best officers.” He then turned to the augments. “Khan, I’m going to assume that you’re not planning on betraying us again considering the circumstances. Understand that this is not the time and place to prove me wrong on that.”

Khan exchanged glances with his crew before nodding. “I said I will do anything for my family, Kirk. That includes taking orders.”

“Fine.” He turned to Spock and McCoy. “Both of you are coming, as well. Sulu, you too.”

“Even if you insisted that I stay here, I would have simply ignored the order, Captain.” Kirk could see that his First Officer was only barely keeping his emotions under control, and he commended him for his effort.

“When we get on that ship, you can let loose as much as you want,” he said. “Now, we’re all in an emotionally state, so I don’t want any fighting while we’re over there.”

Khan gave him a confused look. “Kirk, I assure you that while my emotions can control my aggression, I won’t allow myself to attack an ally-”

“I was talking to those two. They have a history when it comes to arguing.” He gestured to Spock and McCoy; the former raised an eyebrow while the latter just rolled his eyes. 


	16. Angry Mothers & Fathers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rescue mission.

Spock’s face was the first she saw when the six beamed aboard, and Christine Chapel quickly averted her gaze away in shame. If what she had heard over the _Infinity_ 's comms was true, Nyota Uhura had been taken by Korby. _If only I’d heeded the warning signs earlier…_

She recognized Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Sulu instantly, but it took her a few moments to recall Khan and the dark-haired woman stood by his side. She remembered what the two of them had done to her and tried her hardest not to look afraid.

“Is this all of you?” she asked. “It’s a big ship.”

“We know. There’s more.” Kirk and the other five stepped aside, and a minute passed before another six appeared; the other four augments and two security officers. Then they stepped aside, and six other redshirts appeared.

Christine raised an eyebrow. “Thorough. What’s the plan?”

“We split into two groups,” said Kirk. “Chapel, you’ll lead me, Spock, Sulu and the augments to Korby.” He then turned to McCoy and an officer. “Bones, you and Hendorff go find your daughter with the rest of security. If you encounter Treadway, arrest him.”

McCoy gave a cut nod and didn’t even comment before he and the security officers left. Christine bit her lip. She’d known McCoy for a long time, and seeing his expression – and noticing that he hadn’t made his usual sarcastic remarks or quoted a metaphor – made her realize just how serious he was being. Part of her felt sorry for his ex-wife, who would soon find herself on the receiving end of his mood.

“Roger’s lab then?” she asked the others.

All she received were nods, similar to the one McCoy had given. The blonde sighed as she turned to lead them all from engineering; Korby was definitely in trouble.

\---

Hacking into the computer hadn’t been difficult. McCoy knew this because Hendorff had achieved it, and he was – no offence to him – not the brightest bulb on the ship. The other security officers could be worse sometimes.

“Computer, locate Pamela Branch,” McCoy demanded. The computer responded that she was in the Captain’s quarters with one other person, and McCoy knew immediately that this other person was his daughter. He gestured for the officers to follow him as he took off at a run through the ship.

He had expected Captain Treadway to be aware of their intrusion and send officers of his own after them. What had shocked him was when the impending attack came, those officers had their phasers set to kill. Giotto went down first, followed closely by Matthews. McCoy and the others ducked for cover.

“Dammit!” McCoy contemplated setting his phaser to kill as well, but refused to lower himself to that level and instead fired back with stun blasts. The others did as well, getting in some good hits.

McCoy noted that Treadway didn’t carry out drills very often, for the security officers were soon defeated; all of them, including those who had arrived late, where lying on the floor in minutes, all unconscious. It had cost the lives of two more officers, Tormolen and Rayburn, but at least it was over for now.

“Stay close,” McCoy told the remaining four, before they continued onwards towards the Captain’s quarters. It took them a few minutes to reach the door.

McCoy and Hendorff readied themselves on one side, while the other three stood opposite. McCoy looked to the first officer, Connors, and nodded, before opening the door. Connors leapt into the doorway with his phaser ready, only to be shot down instantly with a kill blast. The second officer, Leslie, instinctively ran to his aid, and was shot down too.

“Stay back! I have a child, and I’m willing to kill to protect her!”

If McCoy wasn’t angry before, he certainly was now. “Pamela! Stand down! We have you outnumbered!”

“The hell I won’t!”

McCoy sent the third officer, Lemli, a signal. Lemli nodded in understanding before subtly using his phaser to fire into the room. He then poked his head around the door frame and fired again, only to get hit by a blast.

“Pamela, listen to me!” McCoy tried. “Try and ignore your selfish, possessive urge to take everything from me, and for once, think about what’s best for Joanna! She told me everything; you’ve been neglecting her, spending your time with that Clay guy and ignoring her! That’s not good parenting! I know you; the only reason you want her is because you don’t want _me_ to have her. I can tell you this now, Pamela; once you took everything from me, including her…and hell, I’m not letting you take her again!”

There was another blast, but it wasn’t aimed at the door. After McCoy exchanged a confused glance with Hendorff, the latter slowly crept forwards to take a look. “Doctor, you may want to see this.”

Fearing the worst, McCoy went to look…but sighed with relief when he saw Pamela unconscious on the floor with Joanna stood over her, a phaser in her hands.

“I’m sorry, Daddy,” she apologized.

“What for?” McCoy knelt down and opened his arms, allowing her to run into his embrace.

The moment didn’t last long, for the ship suddenly shuddered violently and sent the three tumbling off their feet.

\---

In another part of the ship, the second group were thrown off their feet, as well. “What the hell was that?!” Sulu demanded aloud, to no one in particular.

Christine shrugged innocently. “I didn’t think I did that much damage.”

Jim was already thinking ahead, taking out his comm. “Kirk to _Enterprise_.”

“ _Chekov here, sir! Is everyone alright?_ ”

“We’re fine, but the ship lurched suddenly,” Kirk explained. “Are your scanners getting anything on board?”

In the background, alarms could be heard on the Enterprise. “ _Not from ze ship, sir!_ ” said Chekov, raising his voice so he could be heard. “ _Our scanners have just detected huge seismic activity coming from Ceti Alpha VI! Ve are not sure what is causing it; it may just be spontaneous. But if it continues like zis, zen zere is a possibility zat ze planet vill explode._ ”

Wide eyes were exchanged all around.

“A problem with the core, most likely,” said the Brazilian augment – Cleopatra her name was, if Kirk remembered correctly. “There could have been too much pressure placed on it.”

“The planet’s orbit around the star was peculiar when I scanned the system,” Spock added. “An orbit of such force and distance could place such pressure onto the planet’s core, causing it explode. But an explosion of such magnitude will logically disrupt the orbits of the other planets – including that of Ceti Alpha V.”

The ship-wide comm of the _Infinity_ opened. “ _Attention. This is your Captain speaking. I’m ordering an immediate evacuation of the ship. Everyone report to their assigned shuttles now._ ”

More gazes where exchanged. “I doubt Korby will be stupid enough to ignore such an order,” said Khan.

Kirk turned to his comm again. “Chekov, the _Infinity_ has just been ordered to evacuate; most likely they haven’t got their warp-core up and running in order to escape. I want you to collect the evacuation shuttles and then get the _Enterprise_ as far away from here as you can. Have Scotty ready with that trans-warp beaming equation.”

“ _Yes, sir!_ ” The comm disconnected.

Kirk then turned to the others. “We need to hurry. I’d rather have Uhura and Lucille with us than cooped up in a shuttle with Doctor Crazy.”

\---

It was the sudden lurch that first stirred Uhura, and the following alarms were able to wake her up properly. Sitting upright in the bed she’d been placed in, Uhura recalled what had happened; security had caught her once she was on the _Infinity_ , and they had been forced to knock her out because she’d been fighting back so hard. The last she saw of the two girls, Joanna was being dragged away by her mother while Lucille had been knocked out as well…

She looked around the room. It was a lab, and across the room she saw Lucille lying on another, smaller bed, only just beginning to stir. Uhura got up and hurried over to the girl. “Lucille. Lucille, wake up.”

The little girl blinked a couple of times before it registered where she was. “Lt. Uhura? Where are we? Where’s…where’s Dr. Korby?”

“I don’t know,” Uhura replied honestly. “We should try and escape while he’s not here.”

“It’s no use.” The door opened, and Korby strode in with a smug grin upon his face. “I heard every word. And unless you both want to remain on a doomed ship, I suggest you come with me now to an evacuation shuttle I have reserved.” He brought out a phaser and aimed it at them.

“You can’t threaten us,” said Uhura. “You need us both.”

“And you can’t stay behind,” Korby said back. “Lt. Uhura, you’re pregnant, and you will do anything to make sure your unborn child lives.”

Uhura didn’t want to say anything to that, for she knew he was right. “You mentioned something about unborn children before I was beamed here. And why am I here anyway? To be your lab rat?”

“To test a theory,” Korby replied. “Women are injected with various medications while pregnant in order to prevent their babies from developing various diseases later in life. I thought maybe the same could be done with the serum. Development in a mother’s womb could eradicate the side effects, especially since there’s nothing there to heal, and all that will be left behind is the regenerative blood.”

“You’re just going to jab a needle into me and hope for the best?!”

“Well, if the baby doesn’t survive, then my theory will be proven false and I’ll have to continue from there.” His face lightened up. “But it can also go wrong in a very right way. I’ll have an augment baby to command, far stronger than any before because this one is part Vulcan.”

His expression soon turned to one of horror when Uhura leapt at him in rage.

\---

Spock could sense when his bonded had awoken; he felt her confusion, and then her anger which only kept growing and growing. And then he froze, because he could sense that her anger had reached a point at which she had attacked someone, most likely Korby.

“We must hurry.” He sprinted past his Captain and Nurse Chapel, following his senses through the hallways of the ship, leading him to where his bonded was now fighting for her life against a superhuman madman.

The Vulcan could hear the commotion when he got closer, and seconds later he reached the door which led to the ship’s lab. The door surprisingly opened straight away, and upon stumbling into the room, he froze – for he had just seen Korby slap Nyota across her face, sending her hurtling to the floor.

His vision went red, but he was aware of what he was doing – very much aware. He strode up to Korby and punched him, hard, in the same spot where Korby had slapped Nyota, but Spock did so with much greater force. He then placed his hands upon the man’s face, attacking his mind and allowing Korby to see just how angry he was.

“ _You hurt my bondmate. You threatened my child._ ” Those were the words he spoke in his mind, and Korby’s eyes widened before Spock pinched his shoulder as hard as he could. Korby screamed in agony, but was able to fight the pain and use his strength to push the Vulcan away.

Spock fell to the floor, and picking himself up he was about to attack Korby again…but then he saw Nyota, still lying on the floor and holding her face in pain. The red vanished and he knelt by her side, pressing a comforting hand to her cheek. “Nyota, I’m here…”

\---

Khan and Victoria arrived in time to see Spock pushed to the floor. The latter saw the opening and took it; she strode over to Korby and grabbed his arm, snapping it in two with a strength fuelled by her anger. Korby yelled in pain as she slung him over her shoulder, throwing him towards her lover as she did.

Korby’s eyes widened further when he saw Khan, and the augment didn’t waste time on grabbing the man’s head between his hands and pressing inwards. It would be more difficult than with Marcus, but Khan refused to stop until Korby’s skull had been reduced to dust. Most of his crew were dead; his unborn child was dead. Korby was going to pay for it – _all_ of it.

“Stop!”

Khan paused and looked up to see Lucille standing before him, tears in her eyes. Her expression was that of begging; she was begging him not to do it, and this caught Khan off guard enough to remove his hands from Korby’s head. The man took in deep breaths, trying to recover.

“He killed your mother,” said Khan.

“I know,” said Lucille. “And I know that he deserves to die for everything that he’s done. But not like this. If there’s any good in you, you’ll get up and walk away.”

Khan didn’t know what to say – because he found himself actually _considering_ her words. He looked down at Korby, and then back at her. The augment knew that waking him in this time was a mistake, and he knew trying to use him was an even bigger one. Khan knew what he was, and that Marcus really should have let him sleep out his remaining days. It was safer – for himself, his remaining crew, and everyone else – if he was just left alone.

If he kept giving into his nature, he realized, that would never happen. No one would ever leave him or his family alone. So he rose to his feet.

The others – his remaining crew, Kirk, Sulu, Chapel, and even a security officer and the McCoys – had arrived by this time. Kirk walked forwards and gave Korby a satisfying kick in the head, knocking the man out.

“Alright, is everyone accounted for?” asked the Captain.

McCoy averted his gaze. “We lost seven officers,” he said. “Treadway’s lot had their damn phasers set to kill!”

“That’ll be another thing I’ll trial him for in court.” Kirk sighed. “Now what do we do with this son of a bitch?” He gestured to Korby.

“While a trial is the lawful thing to do, Captain,” said Spock, as he and Uhura rose to their feet, “I doubt it is the _right_ one. He was able to convince Starfleet of his innocence before, and it is possible, despite the evidence levelled against him, that he may be able to do so again. A man like Korby will not be contained, and I am the first to suggest that we leave him on this ship to die.” The look in his eyes showed that while he had calmed down considerably, he was still angry.

“I don’t disagree with you there, Spock,” said Kirk. “Anyone else vote for that?” Everyone raised their hands.

“I suggest, Kirk, that we do more than that,” Khan spoke up. “This ship is next to Ceti Alpha V, a considerable distance from Ceti Alpha VI. There is a possibility that the ship will hold together and will only be carried by the explosion, leading Korby to survive. If we want its destruction to be definite, then we must fly the ship straight into the centre of the explosion.”

“But that’ll be difficult to pull off on auto-pilot,” said Kirk. “It’ll have to be done manually. Trust me, I know.”

“How?”

Jim gave the augment a long look. “Did Admiral Marcus tell you the full story about what happened to the _Kelvin_?”

“Only that it was destroyed by Romulans from the future, and that its Acting Captain gave his life saving his crew.”

“So he probably didn’t tell you that Acting Captain was my father.”

Khan gave him a surprised look, while dead silence fell over those who knew Kirk. Not because of the revelation – they knew that, already – but because of what Jim was implying.

“Captain?!” Spock exclaimed.

“Jim, we already brought you back to life once!” McCoy protested. “And dammit man, we’re not doing it again!”

“It’s the only way, Bones,” said Kirk. “I won’t let Korby harm any of you again. Maybe in this universe, I’m just meant to die. I’m sorry.” He turned to leave…

…only to walk straight into the door. He tried to force it open but it refused to budge. “What the hell?”

“ _Jim, I’m sorry._ ” It was Christine, and she was on the other side of the door. “ _But you’re not going anywhere._ ”

Kirk’s eyes widened. “Christine, I order you to-”

“ _You’re not my Captain anymore, remember? You can’t order me to do anything. Most of this is my fault, so it makes sense that I should be the one to die. Tell Spock…that I hope he and Nyota are very happy together with their child._ ” And with that her footsteps faded as she made her way to the bridge – and to her death. 


	17. Crews and Families

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things come together...

“Christine! Christine, answer me! Christine!”

Jim thumped at the door with his fist, but only succeeded in leaving a dent in the structure. He turned and leant his back against it, eyes closed as he wondered if the Kirk from the Prime timeline had handled the problem of Christine Chapel better than he had.

“Captain.” Kirk opened his eyes to find that Spock had taken a step towards him, while the other occupants of the room were watching. “We do not have much time. We must leave.”

Nodding in agreement, Jim went to take out his comm but jumped slightly when the comm itself beeped, as if anticipating him. Jim didn’t think too hard about it as he answered. “Kirk, here.”

“ _Cap’n, it’s Scotty. Mr. Chekov was able to collect the evacuation shuttles and moved the ship out of the explosion range. Permission to beam you all the hell outta there, sir?_ ”

Kirk sighed. “Yes, Scotty. Beam us out. Seven of the security officers were killed, and we were able to get the girls back; so that means there’ll be two groups of six and then just two people.”

“ _No offence meant, Cap’n, but I can count,_ ” said Scotty. “ _Who do I lock onto first?_ ”

“Hold on a minute.” He turned to the others. “All right, I need volunteers. Who’s beaming out first?” No one raised a hand or stepped forwards; they all just stared at him. “Look, while I commend you all for your moment of heroism, six of you need to step forwards. Please don’t make me choose who to send first.”

“Would it help if I chose for you, Captain?” It was Khan who spoke up, and while a little stunned by his offer, Kirk nodded. “Thinking rationally, it would be best to first send all the children, including the unborn one. So that’s the two girls and Lt. Uhura. It would also make sense to send their parents with them, so that’s Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy and Victoria, since she has unofficially adopted Lucille. Acceptable?”

Kirk nodded. “Yes. Scotty, did you get that?”

“ _Lucille, Joanna, Uhura, Spock, McCoy and an augment ready to beam out, sir._ ”

“Khan…” Victoria approached him slowly and tenderly cupped the man’s face as a single tear escaped her eye. It was clear that no words needed to be spoken. As their lips met, Kirk looked away and tried not to comment on the fact that this wasn’t the first time an intimate scene had made him feel uncomfortable. 

While this happened Spock once again stepped towards his Captain. “Jim, I must protest. I would like to remain behind-”

“Spock, you’re beaming out. That’s an order. I’m not having your kid grow up the same way I did.” Jim sent his First Officer a firm glare.

Spock opened his mouth to say more, but closed it again when he realized it was no use. The six were soon being beamed to safety.

Nothing was spoken between those remaining, and the silence was broken by the _Infinity_ 's computer. “ _Manual override activated. Warning: ship moving towards unstable environment._ ”

Jim tried not to think about Christine. “Scotty, they there?”

“ _They’re here safely, Cap’n,_ ” said Scotty. “ _Who next?_ ”

“I’ll stay,” Khan said immediately.

“So will I,” said Jim, before anyone else could speak up. “Beam everyone else over there, Scotty.”

“ _Aye, Cap’n._ ”

Kirk turned to Sulu. “Mr. Sulu, once you arrive back on the _Enterprise_ , head straight for the bridge and set a course for Earth.”

“Yes, sir.” He sent Kirk a salute, as did Hendorff.

An augment – Washington, Jim recalled – approached Khan. “Sir-”

“If I do not return in time, make sure Vic and Lucille are taken care of, Wash.” Khan gave his unofficial brother-in-law a warm smile. “And I have a name.”

Washington smiled back. “I know you have one, Khan.”

The four augments and two officers vanished from the ship, leaving Kirk and Khan alone. The room would be silent if not for the alarm which echoed throughout the ship, and Korby beginning to stir. The two tried not to look at each other.

“If we _do_ make it out of this alive,” Kirk spoke up, “I promise to help you and your family anyway I can.” He turned to the augment and smirked. “As long as you don’t back-stab me the moment we get back on the _Enterprise_.”

Khan saw the humour and almost smirked. “I doubt you can give me what I want, Kirk.”

Jim knew what he was referring to – or rather, _who_ he was referring to. “By that I mean _all_ your family. That’s if she chooses to be a part of it.”

Khan looked surprised, but pleasantly so, and the moment distracted the two men from the countdown which the ship’s computer had started. It reached ‘four’ when the two were beamed out, finding themselves on the transporter pad of the _Enterprise_ seconds later.

Scotty leapt up happily. “With four seconds to spare! Brilliant!”

The two mean leapt off the pad, and while Victoria practically launched herself at her lover, Spock approached Kirk. “Captain, are you well?”

“I’m fine, Spock; never better.” He looked round the room; McCoy and Joanna were still present, as were Uhura and Lucille, and the augments. He was surprised to see that Carol was waiting there as well…and was even more surprised when she suddenly threw herself at him, their lips meeting.

Everyone in the room turned to stare as Carol realized what she was doing and pulled away. “Captain, I’m…so sorry! I don’t know what came over me. That was…well…”

But Jim just smirked. “I knew you liked me, Dr. Marcus, but I didn’t know you liked me _that_ much.”

Her embarrassment vanished and she hit his arm in retaliation, while McCoy rolled his eyes in the background. “He’s fine; didn’t even kill his game.”

Kirk turned to Khan and smirked as he watched Victoria pull away from him…only for the augment to get launched at _again_ , this time by – to everyone’s surprise – Lucille. No one was more shocked than Khan was.

“I guess Sonny was right,” she told him. “You _aren’t_ a bad man.”

Said dog suddenly came hurrying in, barking happily, and everyone laughed as they gave him the attention he craved. It gave Jim a chance to back away to the room’s control panel and contact the bridge. “Chekov, we’re all aboard safely. Scotty said you collected the evacuation shuttles before you left?”

“ _Yes, sir. All shuttles vere collected._ ”

“Were Captain Treadway and Ms. Branch aboard any of them?”

“ _Yes, sir. Ve have taken zem into custody._ ”

Kirk sighed with relief. At least that was one problem he wouldn’t have to deal with. “What about the status of the Ceti Alpha system?”

“ _Ceti Alpha VI has exploded, taking ze ship vith it,_ ” Chekov reported. Kirk looked down sadly at this, thinking of Christine. “ _Ze four inner planets do not appear to have been affected much, but ze orbit of Ceti Alpha V has been severely disrupted. Vith its new orbit, all life on ze planet vill die vith no hope of it becoming habitable again._ ”

The Captain sighed, and hearing that the room had gone silent, he turned to find everyone staring at him sadly. While Ceti Alpha V had no intelligent life, it was still upsetting that whatever life the planet had would now die because of circumstances they couldn’t control. The augments were mostly hiding their emotions, but it was clear they were upset too, if for different reasons; they had been planning to make the planet their home, and those plans had been ruined.

Kirk turned back to the panel. “Mr. Sulu, are you there?”

“ _Yes, Captain. Set a course for home?_ ”

Jim looked up again, and this time his eyes met Khan’s. “Yeah, maximum warp.”

\---

“So, what happened to the crazy ex-wife?”

“Insane; that’s the legal term they gave her,” said McCoy. “She was sent to the rehabilitation colony on Tantalus V – not even her lawyer family could save her. While legally insane may be pushing it a little, she _was_ under the delusion that Joanna was best off with her despite having ignored her, and came up with the crazy theory that I set up the entire incident in order to take Joanna from her.”

It had been a week since the _Enterprise_ had arrived back on Earth. Khan and his crew had been taken in custody, along with Treadway’s crew, but the latter crew were released soon after when it became apparent they’d only been following orders, and reluctantly so. During a hearing later on the Admirals agreed that leaving Korby behind to die had been the best option.

Jim and McCoy were at Starfleet’s headquarters, walking across the grounds. “Does this mean you have custody over Jo now?” asked Kirk.

“Yeah. She’s gonna be tagging along on our crazy misadventures across the galaxy. God help us.” He sighed. “What about Treadway?”

“Since most of this was Korby’s fault, at first his punishment didn’t look severe,” Jim replied. “Then I informed the Admirals of what the security officers did under the guy’s orders, and members of his crew filed a number of complaints about him. He got a court martial.”

“And how about Khan’s crew?” The two came to a halt. “What’s their fate?”

Jim sighed. “Well, Admiral Barnett was in favour of banishing them to a Class-M planet, but those which are left have already been settled. Putting them on trial wouldn’t end well for many reasons; the governments that trialled them in the first place are long gone, witnesses are dead and most information was destroyed during the Third World War. We know they did it, but we don’t have the evidence to legally prove them of their crimes. And yet, we can’t just let them go free. All in all, too much paperwork – not even Spock would be willing to commit himself to a task like that.”

“Khan killed thousands with his little ‘crash into San Francisco’ stunt, and the others killed a few officers,” McCoy reminded him. “They can be prosecuted for that with plenty of witnesses.”

Jim just shook his head. “Even then, how long do you think we’ll be able to hold them before another interested party busts them out, or they bust out themselves?”

McCoy gave a frustrated sigh. “So, what’s left?”

“Re-freeze them, if they’d be willing to go through with it. But that doesn’t solve the problem of another interested party coming along and taking them.” Jim shrugged. “Khan did seem to imply that he just wants to be left alone with his family. Even if we did let them go, would they do anything? I mean, look at me; I’ve got their abilities, and I haven’t experienced any of those power-mad urges you warned me about.”

“And I think I know why,” said McCoy. “I took a closer look at the notes I copied from Korby. He said that Lucille’s outbursts were only caused by emotion; she reacted like any child would have, but because of her abilities she caused a lot more damage. It led me to conclude that the theory Korby found – about the cause being a genetic defect – was false.”

“False?” asked Kirk. “Then what _does_ cause it, Bones?”

“Nothing,” McCoy replied. “Nothing biological, anyway; if Khan’s people had been raised under the correct environment, they could have become the peacekeepers they were meant to be. But because they grew up among violence and were taught early on that they were better than everyone else, they became arrogant and aggressive.” He placed a hand upon his friend’s shoulder. “Lucille had the urges because she’s still a child, and has yet to be fully taught about rights and wrongs. You, on the other hand, have already _been_ taught, meaning that the urges are naturally not there.”

“That actually makes sense,” said Jim. He then raised an eyebrow. “You’re not gonna give me one of your metaphors, are you?”

McCoy sighed. “I had a good one about weak men knowing the value of strength, but I can see it’ll only be wasted on you.” He patted Jim’s shoulder.

“And…” Jim began again, “your theory has given me an idea.” He took off at a run.

Only seconds later did McCoy’s eyes widen with realization of what his friend’s plan was. “Dammit, Jim!”

\---

“I’ve called you all here today because a decision has been made regarding your fates,” Admiral Barnett informed the six augments sat before him. “Khan Noonien Singh, are your crew in agreement and do you speak for them?”

Khan nodded. “We are, and I do.”

“Then you have a choice,” said Barnett. “The first choice is that you can be re-frozen. We’ll keep you in a locked hanger away from the world with no intention of ever waking you up. If you ever do, it will either be accidental or another party would have gained possession of you.” He then sighed. “The other choice was suggested, and will only be a test run to see how things go: community service.”

“Community service?” Washington questioned. “You mean we’ll have to wash dishes and help the poor?”

“Perhaps that’s what it was like in your day, but nowadays it’s different,” Barnett corrected him. “You’ll become ranking officers in Starfleet, and will serve aboard a vessel under heavy surveillance. It was brought to my attention that each of you have certain skills which are useful in the field; you should settle in just fine if you wish to. All that’s required from you all is to watch a few rehabilitation videos throughout your time on the vessel, and that you drop the first names which you gave yourselves; those are how people can recognize you, as opposed to your birth names.”

What the Admiral had said puzzled Khan, for he didn’t expect Starfleet to make such an offer to them. Not that he was considering it; working for Starfleet was not something he wanted to do, especially after being forced to work for Marcus.

He rose from his seat and saw Barnett reaching for where he kept his phaser, as did the security officers. “May I ask who suggested this idea to you? Who would be stupid enough to take myself and my crew aboard their ship?”

At that moment the door opened, and everyone turned to see who it was.

“Sorry I’m late,” said Jim, taking off his grey cap as he entered the room. “Some douche-bag parked his car in front of several others, and I had to move it for a lady who wanted to leave. Man, this super-strength is _great_!”

Khan was at first surprised to see the Captain, but then it faded. It made sense that Kirk would be the one to suggest such an idea. “No need to answer my question, Admiral. I figured it out.”

“You don’t seem very happy about it,” Kirk noted. “I mean, it’s not exactly being left alone like you wanted, but we can’t find any suitable planets for you guys.”

“And you think us joining Starfleet is the better option?” Khan questioned, almost amused by the idea. “Give me one reason why we should even consider it?”

“Well, if you still consider Lucille as one of your own, this way you’ll be together.”

That caught his attention. “How?”

Barnett sighed before retrieving a PADD from his draw. “I don’t entirely agree with this, but you _did_ save Lucille Harewood from Korby by accepting her into your family. And you genuinely care when it comes to your family; that’s insurance enough that you’ll never lay a hand on her.” He handed the PADD to Kirk.

“I also saw what happened on the _Infinity_. Lucille was able to stop you from killing Korby then and there, even after all he had done to you. It’s proof that you can change.” Jim in turn handed the PADD to Khan. “Bottom line, if you join my crew you’ll be able to make the adoption formal. And that’s with child approval.”

“Child approval?” Khan looked down at the PADD and then back up at Kirk again. He remembered what Lucille had told him; forgiveness was something not easily given. Khan had been forgiven before – by some very religious groups who considered it immoral not to forgive anyone for their sins. He’d barely paid them any attention, for it didn’t matter to him. He was shocked that this forgiveness _did_.

Victoria came up behind him to look at the PADD as well; upon it were adoption forms, along with recruitment orders. Khan looked at her and she at him, and he saw the pleading gaze in her eyes. If he hadn’t already been considering the offer, those eyes would have changed his mind. Khan then looked to his crew, and while their expressions weren’t pleading, the lead augment could read their emotions easily; they were tired of running, and they were hopeful of starting over. Washington and Cleopatra were even holding each other’s hands.

Khan then looked back down at the PADD, but instead of seeing the files he saw the innocent face of Lucille Harewood. Maybe it was really time to start over.

“Should we join, what will our jobs be?” 


	18. Our Children

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The epilogue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The name ‘T’Daphnu’ was one I made up, along with its meaning. And the augments have dropped the first names they gave themselves; hopefully you can remember who is who.

Jim Kirk was never one to show worry. It came with being a Starfleet Captain; he had to maintain composure when in command, and that included not visibly showing compromising emotions in front of his crew.

But as he rapidly paced the room on New Vulcan, impatiently awaiting news on the progress of Uhura’s labour, anyone would say that ‘worry’ was an understatement.

Carol was tempted to comment, but refrained from doing so. She was just as worried as he was. “Jim, I’m sure nothing will go wrong. We all know Len won’t let anything happen, and Dr. M’Benga is with him. And there’s a Vulcan midwife on hand.”

“I know. I can’t help it.” He stopped pacing and took a seat next to his girlfriend, sighing. Spock was practically his brother, making Uhura his sister by default. He didn’t want anything happening to them or their child.

“Why don’t I distract you?” Carol suggested, gently rubbing his shoulder. “Let’s think of baby names.”

Jim raised an eyebrow. “But you’re not even pregnant…unless there’s something you’re not telling me?”

“No, I’m not pregnant,” she replied. “Many couples think of baby names for fun, even when they’re not expecting. Suzette was doing it with Joaquin long before she became pregnant.”

“OK.” Jim shrugged, deciding to go along with it. It would take his mind off the labour, at least. “So, if it’s a boy, we name him James Kirk Jr. And if it’s a girl, we name her James…erella Kirk.”

Carol didn't look amused. “Jameserella? That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard! And do I not get any input into the names?”

“I thought you’d like them – especially since they’ll remind you of me.” He smirked.

She slapped his arm in response. “We’re not naming the baby after you on principle.”

“Principle?”

“That your ego will over-inflate.”

Jim rolled his eyes. “Fine, what names do you suggest?”

“I’ve always liked the name David for a boy,” she said. “For a girl, I planned on using my mother’s name, June.”

“I guess June’s close enough to James.” Carol rolled her eyes, but it was with a smile. “And I admit it; I like the name David. What about middle names?”

“Do you have any suggestions other than variations of your name?”

He smirked again. “For a girl, there’s Winona, which is my mother’s name. For a boy…do you like Christopher?”

“After Admiral Pike?” He nodded. “Yes. I like it. So if we have a boy, we name him David Christopher Kirk. And if we have a girl, we name her June Winona Kirk.”

“Don’t tell me you’ve knocked her up already, Jim!”

Both Jim and Carol turned to find McCoy standing in the doorway.

“No, I didn’t,” said Jim, as he and Carol rose to their feet. “Carol suggested we think up baby names in order to take my mind off… Wait, what are you doing here?”

“Why do you think I’m here?” McCoy rolled his eyes. “I’m here to tell you that Uhura gave birth to a healthy baby girl, and you can go see her now.”

Jim ran from the room, almost knocking his friend over, while Carol hurried to catch up. McCoy rolled his eyes again, muttering under his breath as he left to go and find the waiting grandfather and counterpart.

\---

It was always Vulcan tradition for a woman to give birth on the balcony of her house, so a baby could be born into the Vulcan atmosphere within view of the planet they would call home. With Spock and Uhura’s home being the _Enterprise_ and Vulcan long gone, giving birth on the balcony of Sarek’s house on New Vulcan was the next best thing.

It was not his home world, and yet Spock could think of no better place for his child to be brought into the world. It was also tradition for the father to wait in another room, but his Nyota had insisted upon him being there – and in truth, even if she hadn’t argued the point, he would have been there anyway.

The labour had been long, but everything had run smoothly, thanks to McCoy and M’Benga. He had mind-melded with Nyota throughout most of the birth in order to take some of the pain from her, and through the same connection he had felt her overwhelming love and gratitude.

“I’ve heard of men who can’t even _stand_ being in the same room,” she had told him later. “Not only were you there, but you took some of the pain onto yourself.”

Finally, hours later, Spock heard the cries of their child, and was overjoyed when McCoy announced that the baby was a girl. The baby was at first handed to the Vulcan midwife, who proceeded to wash the baby as was tradition, and after being wrapped in a blanket she was handed to Nyota. Tears of joy began to fall from the woman’s eyes. Spock raised his hand gently and wiped them away.

“You have one, too.” She reached up and wiped away the lone tear that had escaped Spock’s eye.

He smiled, barely acknowledging McCoy leaving, before gazing down upon his daughter. The first thing he noticed was the one feature which made her Vulcan heritage known: the little pointed ears. He gently touched one of them, his heart expanding as he beheld the baby he and Nyota had created together. Apart from the ears, she looked very human; her skin tone was a shade lighter than Nyota’s but a shade darker than his own, and the small lock of hair upon her head was chocolate brown like her mother’s.

Spock was taken by surprise when the baby opened her eyes, revealing them to be his shade of brown – his mother's shade of brown.

“She has your eyes and ears,” said Nyota, her hand brushing Spock’s as she reached to touch a pointed ear, too.

“She has your beauty,” Spock said back. He leaned his forehead against his wife’s – that word just felt so right, even in his mind, and he was glad Jim had convinced them to let him marry them – and felt her love at his words.

They both looked towards the door when they heard hurried footsteps, right before Jim arrived with Carol close behind him. “It’s alright. Uncle Jim’s here. So, where’s the little sweetheart?”

“Captain, it should not be hard to see the small bundle in my wife’s arms, which makes the question of where the baby is illogical.”

Jim only rolled his eyes before approaching slowly, as if afraid he’d startle the baby. He smiled when he finally saw her. “Hey, cutie. Your Uncle Jim’s come to say hello.” He held out a finger, allowing the baby to wrap a hand around it.

“She’s adorable,” Carol cooed. “Do you have a name for her yet?”

“Nyota and I discussed the matter many times until we came up with an ideal name,” said Spock. “Since she is mostly human, we decided it would be logical for her to take Nyota’s last name as it is pronounceable compared to my own. For her middle name, we decided upon the Vulcan name T’Daphnu, which means ‘born of two worlds’.”

“And her first name is Amanda, after Spock’s mother.” The proud parents shared a smile as Nyota handed the baby to Spock.

Jim nodded in approval. “Amanda T’Daphnu Uhura. It has a nice ring to it.”

“A beautiful name,” Carol agreed.

The Captain then turned towards the doorway, as if expecting someone to arrive. Spock knew that Kirk’s advanced hearing had alerted him of this, so turned to the doorway also just as his own hearing picked up the footsteps. An elderly Vulcan stepped out into the open; the elder Spock looked as calm as he always did, but his younger counterpart could see straight through him. The elder Spock was ecstatic to see the child that was both his and not.

“If I may see the little kan.” He walked over to the younger Spock and beheld the child that could have been his in his own timeline.

McCoy returned, closely followed by Sarek, who also walked over to the younger Spock. It was small and only lasted a moment, but Spock could have sworn his father smiled at the sight of his granddaughter.

The two elderly men began to comment on the baby as Jim took out his comm in order to leave a message for the rest of the crew.

\---

“ _Attention crew of the Enterprise, this is your Captain speaking. I am overjoyed to inform you all that Commander Spock and Lt. Uhura are proud parents of a beautiful baby girl. You’re now free to stop by and offer your congratulations, but try not to overwhelm them. Proud Uncle Jim out._ ”

“Proud Uncle Jim?” Kati commented. She placed the PADD she was reading down and looked across at her husband, who sat on the opposite side of the room. “Fancy going? I’m sure Joaquin and Suzette will be there since they became “pregnant BFFs” – or whatever it was Kirk said – with them.”

Noonien tucked his comm back into his pocket and picked up his own PADD. “Perhaps later.”

Kati raised an eyebrow. “You don’t want to run into that older Spock, do you? Please don’t tell me you’re afraid of him.”

“I’m not afraid of anyone,” he said back. He reached down to where Sonny was lying by his feet and patted the dog’s head. “I can’t help but feel wary around him.” He admittedly had good reason to be, especially after learning what his counterpart had done in the alternate universe.

Noonien and Kati were sat in a Vulcan learning centre, although they were not participating in the activities available; those were for the children, and not far away Lucille and Joanna – who had become close friends during their time on the _Enterprise_ – were playing a rather advanced learning game.

If there was one thing Noonien liked about working on the _Enterprise_ – apart from being near his family, of course – it was that he was never bored. As Kirk had once told him, “The weird crap always happens to us.” It had become part of routine to expect something unusual, although Noonien had seen his fair share of weird during his own time.

He and Mufasa had been given gold shirts as part of command; while Mufasa was a helmsman during the night shift, Noonien was usually called upon to help Kirk lead a landing party down to the surface of any planet they happened across. His landing party usually consisted of Kati and Otto, who had been made security officers due to their combat skills. Joaquin had been made a redshirt also, only his job was down in engineering, while Suzette was the only one among them who had been giving blue as part of sciences.

It had taken some time to get used to their original names, but they’d managed.

Kati spoke and brought Noonien from his reminiscing. “Did Joaquin tell you what he and Suzette were thinking about naming their son?”

“No.” Noonien put his PADD down curiously.

“They decided upon a variation of his name; Joachim, I think it was,” Kati said. “Joaquin wanted his son to be named after him, but not directly so. When thinking of a middle name they came across Janus.”

“Janus?” Noonien sent her a questioning glance. “It sounds familiar. Is that a Roman God?”

She nodded. “The God of doors and gates; beginnings and endings. They liked the meaning, considering what the baby represents, so it stuck. Fits, doesn’t it?”

Noonien found himself looking over at where Lucille was still playing with Joanna, finding it funny how fate worked. Months ago he had saved her life, not even knowing just how important she would become to him – not knowing that she would be the key to starting over in a new life. If there was anything he agreed on with Kirk, it was the belief that family could be found in the most unlikely of ways and in the most unlikely of places. She had opened the door to a new beginning, closing the one which led back to the life he led before.

Lucille had become part of his family, and maybe someday – he secretly hoped – he would see the _Enterprise_ crew as his family, too.

“Yes,” he said, his eyes never leaving Lucille as he replied to his wife’s question. “Yes it does.” 


End file.
